ArticleBMJ open2026
Understanding fathers' perinatal mental health and well-being support needs: a qualitative study of fathers' and professionals' perspectives in North East England and North Cumbria, UK.
Article in BMJ open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectivesThe transition into fatherhood is considered a profound life stage, involving personal development, lifestyle and emotional adjustments. Fathers' mental health can be adversely impacted by this transition. Fathers express isolation, exclusion and limited support within perinatal services. Restricted emotional support for fathers presents negative consequences for the whole family dynamic. Limited research has explored father and professional input associated with paternal perinatal support and how healthcare services and child and family services can respond to engaging fathers and their mental and emotional support needs. This qualitative study aims to explore fathers' mental health and well-being experiences (referring to emotional or/and social well-being) and support needs within the perinatal period, as well as current viewpoints of perinatal services (maternity, healthcare and social care services) from both fathers' and professionals' perspectives.
designIn-depth semistructured interviews and focus groups were carried out as part of a qualitative study.
settingFathers' resident within the North East and North Cumbria (NENC) and services and organisations from the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector and social care services across the NENC, who associate with supporting families and children, and perinatal mental health.
participantsFathers (n=21) and professionals (VCSE and social care services) (n=9).
resultsReflexive thematic analysis of 30 participants' accounts identified two main themes and five subthemes: (1) 'The Pregnant and Postnatal Man' and (2) Removing the cloak of fatherhood invisibility. These themes centred around the isolation of fathers and limited emotional and mental support within the parenting transition.
conclusionsThe findings suggest that greater father inclusion within perinatal services, policies and antenatal education may help fathers feel more recognised and supported throughout the perinatal journey. Recognition of fathers' emotional well-being and mental health, by adopting a 'whole family' emotional support approach within perinatal services was considered important to support fathers and the family dynamic in facilitating a positive transition for the whole family.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
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.