title: Fathers’ help-seeking and support: The importance of relationships for mental wellbeing

authors: Ghaleiha, Amin

subjects: Fatherhood

abstract: Becoming a father is a major transition for men, and may be a source of happiness and fulfilment, as well as distress. Perinatal mental health research has traditionally focused on mothers, with paternal mental health receiving limited attention. Men are adopting more caregiving roles and increasing their parental involvement, while maintaining their traditional role as a key provider for the family. Balancing these roles may lead to experiences of psychological distress, and help-seeking can be important in alleviating the impacts of paternal distress. However, research on fathers’ help-seeking and mental health needs remains scarce. Therefore, this thesis sought to better understand fathers’ experiences of help-seeking, and facilitators and challenges of paternal help-seeking to support mental health.
Study 1 involved in-depth semi-structured interviews with 11 fathers about their experiences regarding transition to fatherhood and seeking support and advice in early years of parenthood. Fathers reported experiencing distress and uncertainty during the transition to parenthood; however, most did not believe their distress required seeking professional help. Fathers also used a variety of individual and interpersonal coping strategies. Partners were the most important source of emotional support for fathers, but some fathers felt it was inappropriate to seek their partner’s support while she was coping with the stress of pregnancy and new parenting. This study revealed that fathers viewed themselves in a rather traditional role of provider and as a source of emotional and financial stability for their family. This led to work-life balance stress and, for some, created a dilemma where they felt unable to seek emotional support from their most trusted person—their partner.
In study 2 the role of social support, particularly partner support, was explored in relation to paternal mental health and parenting. Data from fathers participating in Growing Up in New Zealand (N = 2601) were used, focusing on data waves during pregnancy and at child ages 9 months and 2 years. Concurrent partner support, and to a lesser degree, other informal support (friends and family) was related to lower paternal distress during pregnancy and at child age 9 months. Although significant, the magnitude of the association was small. There was no evidence of social support in infancy buffering a negative association between distress and parenting outcomes at child age 2 years.
Study 1 found that most fathers did not feel that their distress warranted a professional intervention. Following from this, study 3 investigated the relationships among mental health literacy (MHL), emotional distress, and fathers’ perceptions of barriers and modes of mental health help-seeking. Data were collected from a community sample of New Zealand and Australian fathers (N = 129). The study involved completing an online vignette survey, the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale 21 Items (DASS-21), and two open ended questions. Those with a high DASS-21 stress score were more likely to report the individual in the vignette as needing help or having a mental health problem. regardless of the accuracy of this choice. Additionally, more fathers were able to correctly recognise clear symptoms of depression (typical depression) compared to masked depression. Fathers described several informal and formal sources for support and internal and external barriers (e.g., stigma and time/cost) to help-seeking.
This thesis adds to the growing knowledge on fathers’ mental wellbeing by examining paternal help-seeking and distress as well the role of social support. Overall, the findings of this research are consistent with the limited amount of existing research suggesting that partner support has a unique role in paternal mental health. The findings also suggest greater emphasis on the role of relationships and social support in fathers’ mental health and help-seeking. The main implications of this thesis for health professionals who interact with young families are that paternal mental health requires greater clinical and social attention, and fathers with low levels of social support, poor work-life balance and mental health literacy, and traditional masculine beliefs on help-seeking may be at high risk of experiencing mental health difficulties.

text: Fathers’ help-seeking and support: The importance of relationships for mental wellbeing Becoming a father is a major transition for men, and may be a source of happiness and fulfilment, as well as distress. Perinatal mental health research has traditionally focused on mothers, with paternal mental health receiving limited attention. Men are adopting more caregiving roles and increasing their parental involvement, while maintaining their traditional role as a key provider for the family. Balancing these roles may lead to experiences of psychological distress, and help-seeking can be important in alleviating the impacts of paternal distress. However, research on fathers’ help-seeking and mental health needs remains scarce. Therefore, this thesis sought to better understand fathers’ experiences of help-seeking, and facilitators and challenges of paternal help-seeking to support mental health.
Study 1 involved in-depth semi-structured interviews with 11 fathers about their experiences regarding transition to fatherhood and seeking support and advice in early years of parenthood. Fathers reported experiencing distress and uncertainty during the transition to parenthood; however, most did not believe their distress required seeking professional help. Fathers also used a variety of individual and interpersonal coping strategies. Partners were the most important source of emotional support for fathers, but some fathers felt it was inappropriate to seek their partner’s support while she was coping with the stress of pregnancy and new parenting. This study revealed that fathers viewed themselves in a rather traditional role of provider and as a source of emotional and financial stability for their family. This led to work-life balance stress and, for some, created a dilemma where they felt unable to seek emotional support from their most trusted person—their partner.
In study 2 the role of social support, particularly partner support, was explored in relation to paternal mental health and parenting. Data from fathers participating in Growing Up in New Zealand (N = 2601) were used, focusing on data waves during pregnancy and at child ages 9 months and 2 years. Concurrent partner support, and to a lesser degree, other informal support (friends and family) was related to lower paternal distress during pregnancy and at child age 9 months. Although significant, the magnitude of the association was small. There was no evidence of social support in infancy buffering a negative association between distress and parenting outcomes at child age 2 years.
Study 1 found that most fathers did not feel that their distress warranted a professional intervention. Following from this, study 3 investigated the relationships among mental health literacy (MHL), emotional distress, and fathers’ perceptions of barriers and modes of mental health help-seeking. Data were collected from a community sample of New Zealand and Australian fathers (N = 129). The study involved completing an online vignette survey, the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale 21 Items (DASS-21), and two open ended questions. Those with a high DASS-21 stress score were more likely to report the individual in the vignette as needing help or having a mental health problem. regardless of the accuracy of this choice. Additionally, more fathers were able to correctly recognise clear symptoms of depression (typical depression) compared to masked depression. Fathers described several informal and formal sources for support and internal and external barriers (e.g., stigma and time/cost) to help-seeking.
This thesis adds to the growing knowledge on fathers’ mental wellbeing by examining paternal help-seeking and distress as well the role of social support. Overall, the findings of this research are consistent with the limited amount of existing research suggesting that partner support has a unique role in paternal mental health. The findings also suggest greater emphasis on the role of relationships and social support in fathers’ mental health and help-seeking. The main implications of this thesis for health professionals who interact with young families are that paternal mental health requires greater clinical and social attention, and fathers with low levels of social support, poor work-life balance and mental health literacy, and traditional masculine beliefs on help-seeking may be at high risk of experiencing mental health difficulties.

year: 2024-03-25

title: Correlations between MO Eigenvectors and the Thermochemistry of Simple Organic Molecules, Related to Empirical Bond Additivity Schemes

authors: Lee, Matthew Colin John

subjects: MOs

abstract: A bondingness term is further developed to aid in heat of formation (ΔfHº) calculations for C, N, O and S containing molecules. Bondingness originated from qualitative investigations into the antibonding effect in the occupied MOs of ethane. Previous work used a single parameter for bondingness to calculate ΔfHº in an alkane homologous series using an additivity scheme. This work modifies the bondingness algorithm and uses the term to parameterise a test group of 345 molecules consisting of 17 subgroups that include alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, alcohols, ethers, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, esters, amines, amides, diazenes, nitriles, nitroalkanes, nitrates, thiols and benzenoids. Comparing experimental with calculated ΔfHº values, a standard deviation for the residuals of 6.3 kJ mol 1 can be achieved using bondingness with a simple steric repulsion term (SSR) in a bond additivity scheme, and a standard deviation of 5.2 kJ mol 1 can be achieved using a Lennard-Jones potential. The method is compared with the group method of Pedley, which for a slightly smaller set of 338 molecules, a subset of the test set of 345 molecules, gives a standard deviation of 7.0 kJ mol 1.

Bondingness, along with SSR or a Lennard-Jones potential, is parameterised in the lowest level of ab initio (HF-SCF) or semiempirical quantum chemical calculations. It therefore may be useful in determining the ΔfHº values for the largest molecules that are amenable to quantum chemical calculation.

As part of our analysis we calculated the difference between the lowest energy conformer and the average energy of a mixture populated with higher energy conformers. This is the difference between the experimental ΔfHº value and the ΔfHº calculated for a single conformer. Example calculations which we have followed are given by Dale and Eliel et al.. Dale calculates the energy difference for molecules as large as hexane using relative energies based on the number of 1,4 gauche interactions. We have updated these values with constant increments ascertained by Klauda et al. as well as ab initio MP2 cc-pVDZ relative energies and have included calculations for heptane and octane.

text: Correlations between MO Eigenvectors and the Thermochemistry of Simple Organic Molecules, Related to Empirical Bond Additivity Schemes A bondingness term is further developed to aid in heat of formation (ΔfHº) calculations for C, N, O and S containing molecules. Bondingness originated from qualitative investigations into the antibonding effect in the occupied MOs of ethane. Previous work used a single parameter for bondingness to calculate ΔfHº in an alkane homologous series using an additivity scheme. This work modifies the bondingness algorithm and uses the term to parameterise a test group of 345 molecules consisting of 17 subgroups that include alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, alcohols, ethers, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, esters, amines, amides, diazenes, nitriles, nitroalkanes, nitrates, thiols and benzenoids. Comparing experimental with calculated ΔfHº values, a standard deviation for the residuals of 6.3 kJ mol 1 can be achieved using bondingness with a simple steric repulsion term (SSR) in a bond additivity scheme, and a standard deviation of 5.2 kJ mol 1 can be achieved using a Lennard-Jones potential. The method is compared with the group method of Pedley, which for a slightly smaller set of 338 molecules, a subset of the test set of 345 molecules, gives a standard deviation of 7.0 kJ mol 1.

Bondingness, along with SSR or a Lennard-Jones potential, is parameterised in the lowest level of ab initio (HF-SCF) or semiempirical quantum chemical calculations. It therefore may be useful in determining the ΔfHº values for the largest molecules that are amenable to quantum chemical calculation.

As part of our analysis we calculated the difference between the lowest energy conformer and the average energy of a mixture populated with higher energy conformers. This is the difference between the experimental ΔfHº value and the ΔfHº calculated for a single conformer. Example calculations which we have followed are given by Dale and Eliel et al.. Dale calculates the energy difference for molecules as large as hexane using relative energies based on the number of 1,4 gauche interactions. We have updated these values with constant increments ascertained by Klauda et al. as well as ab initio MP2 cc-pVDZ relative energies and have included calculations for heptane and octane.

year: 2008

title: The intergenerational perpetuation of achievement messages in whānau

authors: Southey, Kim Marie

subjects: Maori

abstract: The current research is an open exploration of achievement messages that are carried from generation to generation in whānau, in relation to the mainstream education system of Aotearoa. Participant groups comprised of two to three generations within each whānau. A maximum of eight whānau will be asked to participate. A series of continuous conversations will be held with each member of the whānau, reminiscent of the narrative approach, but most recently described as a methodology that allows for ensuring that data is collected in its fullest form.
Differing views about achievement and how it is negotiated within whānau will be explored; along with issues on what, and who, within whānau are the most predominant indicators of achievement views. Detracting from an ethnocentric view of scholastic ability (a common marker for achievement) is done through abandoning mainstream ideals. This research favours an open exploration approach allowing for differing values about what constitutes achievement, and what context achievement is based in. Outcomes of the research are intended to show patterns within whānau and among Māori on the mainstream school system, and how this system has contributed to achievement messages. The positive or negative nature of the contribution from mainstream education is highly important and relevant to further research goals, including the ability to use outcomes to suggest social change in education provision for Māori.

text: The intergenerational perpetuation of achievement messages in whānau The current research is an open exploration of achievement messages that are carried from generation to generation in whānau, in relation to the mainstream education system of Aotearoa. Participant groups comprised of two to three generations within each whānau. A maximum of eight whānau will be asked to participate. A series of continuous conversations will be held with each member of the whānau, reminiscent of the narrative approach, but most recently described as a methodology that allows for ensuring that data is collected in its fullest form.
Differing views about achievement and how it is negotiated within whānau will be explored; along with issues on what, and who, within whānau are the most predominant indicators of achievement views. Detracting from an ethnocentric view of scholastic ability (a common marker for achievement) is done through abandoning mainstream ideals. This research favours an open exploration approach allowing for differing values about what constitutes achievement, and what context achievement is based in. Outcomes of the research are intended to show patterns within whānau and among Māori on the mainstream school system, and how this system has contributed to achievement messages. The positive or negative nature of the contribution from mainstream education is highly important and relevant to further research goals, including the ability to use outcomes to suggest social change in education provision for Māori.

year: 2003