ESA note from Liza — I run our news desk. I’m a mom of one and not a clinician — I flag studies like this one because dads’ mental health gets quietly missed, and reaching out earlier changes how far people fall. Why trust us.
Researchers studying Australia’s ForWhen service analysed data from 105 fathers and 203 mothers who accessed perinatal mental health navigation between February 2022 and June 2024. On the surface, both groups arrived with similarly high levels of distress. But look at the presenting concerns and the picture shifts: fathers were significantly more likely to report current self-harm or suicidal ideation, plus active relationship problems and financial stress. Mothers more often came in with parenting-specific worries — infant sleep, settling, feeding.
Translation: by the time a lot of dads reach out, the floor has already dropped. He’s not coming in with “I feel a little disconnected from my partner.” He’s coming in because something has already broken — in his head, or at home.
The authors also flag the obvious: far fewer men accessed the service at all, despite research consistently showing around 1 in 10 new fathers experience postpartum depression. Fathers were also more often referred by their partner rather than reaching out themselves. The gap isn’t only stigma — it’s that nothing in the perinatal system is designed to catch dads early, before crisis hits. If any of this lands close, it often travels with loneliness that no one names and a creeping distance between you two.
Common questions
Do fewer dads than moms seek perinatal mental health support?
Yes. In the 2025 ForWhen study, far fewer men accessed the service — 105 fathers versus 203 mothers over roughly two and a half years — and fathers were more often referred by their partner rather than reaching out on their own.
Why do dads arrive in worse shape than moms when they finally ask for help?
Both parents arrived with similarly high distress, but fathers were significantly more likely to report current self-harm or suicidal ideation, relationship problems and financial stress. Nothing in the perinatal system is designed to catch dads early, so by the time they reach out, the situation has often already reached crisis.
How common is postpartum depression in new fathers?
Research consistently finds that around 1 in 10 new fathers experience postpartum depression, yet far fewer seek help than the numbers would predict.
What can a struggling new dad do earlier?
Name it sooner — to a partner, a friend, or a professional — rather than white-knuckling the first year alone. The earlier you reach out, the less far you fall. If you are having thoughts of self-harm, contact your local emergency services or find mental-health support in your country.
Keep reading1 in 5 new dads have postpartum depression or anxiety · New-dad mental health check · Am I depressed? A quick self-check · Lonely as a new dad?
Co-founder of Regular. Writes about relationships, parenthood, and the science of how couples stay close after a baby.
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