ReviewEClinicalMedicine2025
Help-seeking in perinatal fathers: a scoping review of needs, barriers, facilitators, and access to support.
Review in EClinicalMedicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- The perceived influence of fathers' and non-gestational parents' experiences of postnatal depression on their relationship with their child and partner: a systematic review of qualitative studies and meta-synthesis.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Pooled it
- Perinatal fathers' perspectives on paternal perinatal depression: a qualitative study.American journal of obstetrics & gynecology MFM · 2026Article
- The Role of Fathers in the Intergenerational Transmission of Obesity.Current obesity reports · 2026Review
- Psychological health experiences and help-seeking barriers: a qualitative study of Chinese new fathers within 12 months postpartum.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Psychiatric Disorders Among Fathers in Sweden Before, During, and After Partner Pregnancy.JAMA network open · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Fathers' contributions to child development are widely recognized, yet perinatal mental health research and care remain focused on mothers. Despite evidence of paternal emotional and mental health concerns, fathers' help-seeking behaviors are understudied. This scoping review applies the information-processing model of help-seeking to map literature on factors influencing the help-seeking process among fathers in the perinatal period in relation to emotional and mental health concerns, and the associated barriers and facilitators. Methods: Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, six databases were searched for studies published up to June 2025. Eligible studies examined fathers' help-seeking behaviors in the perinatal period (from conception up to 12 months after giving birth), perceived barriers and facilitators, and experiences with perinatal services. A total of 47 studies were included and assessed for methodological quality. Findings: Findings reveal diverse barriers and facilitators at individual, socio-cultural, and practical levels, influencing all help-seeking stages: encoding, generating options, decision-making, and evaluation; key barriers include fathers' individual factors, views on fatherhood and masculinity, and healthcare-related barriers, while digital resources emerged as a facilitator throughout the models' stages. Interpretation: Results underscore the need for a more integrated, father-inclusive approach to perinatal mental health care. Evidence-based recommendations for clinical practice and policy were highlighted. Funding: This study received no funding.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.