The Mental Well-being of Fathers and Partners
Condition: Mental Health Disorder; Fathers
MeSH terms: Mental Disorders
Study type: Observational

Summary: 
      The purpose of this study is to assess the acceptability and feasibility of screening common
      mental health difficulties in fathers and partners of women accessing perinatal mental health
      services.
    

Detailed description: 
      Where women have mental health disorders, this can put significant strain on their partners.
      As well as supporting the mother and dealing with worries and uncertainty about her
      wellbeing, partners may take on additional childcare and household duties alongside
      maintaining work commitments. As a result, mental health professionals are considering ways
      to involve and support partners and other family members where women are accessing specialist
      services.

      This feasibility study will involve the screening of fathers/partners of women accessing
      perinatal mental health services, for mental health disorders including depression, anxiety
      disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Previous empirical evidence has largely
      focussed on fathers but we will include partners i.e., whoever the mother identifies as her
      partner, therefore including individuals in same sex relationships or when the main partner
      is a stepparent. The screening questionnaires will help us to understand the mental health
      needs of fathers/partners of women who are being cared for by perinatal mental health
      services. This will also help us see if partners find it acceptable to complete
      questionnaires on their mental health and family functioning online.

      Three groups of participants will be approached across a 6-month period. The first;
      fathers/partners of women being treated in a Mother and Baby Unit. The second;
      fathers/partners of women being treated in community services (i.e. community Perinatal
      Mental Health Services). The third; fathers/partners of women who have not experienced mental
      health difficulties in the perinatal period.

      Fathers/partners in the clinical groups will initially be approached by clinicians in the
      relevant service (Mother and Baby Unit or Community Perinatal Mental Health Teams). They will
      be asked for verbal consent to be contacted by the research team. The research team will then
      contact the participant and provide further information about the study and obtain informed
      consent. Participants in the control group will be recruited online via social media and
      through local charities and community groups.

      Fathers/partners will be invited to complete screening questionnaires on their mental
      wellbeing -(the Edinburgh Post-natal Depression Scale (EPDS), the Gotland Male Depression
      Scale, the Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 scale (GAD-7), the City Birth Trauma Scale), a
      demographic questionnaire and the Couple's Satisfaction Index. Participants will be able to
      complete these questionnaires online or via hard copies.

      The study will help to inform our understanding of whether fathers/partners find it
      acceptable to complete mental health screening questionnaires. It will also help to identify
      if fathers/partners are more at risk of developing mental health difficulties if the mother
      is also experiencing a mental health difficulty.
    

Observational model: Ecologic or Community
Time perspective: Cross-Sectional
Sampling method: Non-Probability Sample
Study population: 
        Three groups of fathers/partners will be invited to take part in the study -
        fathers/partners of women being treated in a mother and baby unit, fathers/partners of
        women being treated in community services and fathers/partners of women who are not
        accessing mental health services. Participants will be recruited via the SLaM Mother and
        Baby Unit and Community perinatal teams. The community sample will be recruited online via
        social media and through local community groups/charities. Fathers/partners in the
        community sample will be asked to confirm that the mother is not currently accessing mental
        health services and hasn't accessed mental health services during the perinatal period
        (pregnancy to 12-months post-partum).
      
Keywords: Fathers; Perinatal