Inexcusable Overlook of Father's Mental Well-being Could Impede Children's Growth and Development
Freakin' Out About Dads' Mental Health? You Should Be!
Here's the scoop: experts are pushing healthcare providers to get their dads' heads checked out, and for a good reason. It turns out that a dad's mental health can have a serious impact on their kiddos' development - we're talking emotional, cognitive, and social growth.
While we've got mamas' mental health screenings on lock since 2010, the same hasn't been happening for dads, even though 14% of them deal with postpartum depression. Crazy, right? But now, some cool tools like PRAMS for Dads are helping states figure out how to better support these families (more on that later).
Experts from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago are particularly vocal about this. They recently shared their thoughts in a commentary published in JAMA Pediatrics. Turns out they've been pouring over studies that prove paternal mental health affects child development in multiple ways, and nary a dad should be left to suffer in silence.
Lead author, Craig Garfield, pediatrician and founder of the Family & Child Health Innovations Program at Lurie Children's, broke it down like this: "With the birth of a child, things can get very stressful, and it's time we got the same strategy for new fathers that we've been using for new mothers."
Garfield and his team are also working hard to better understand the experiences and needs of men as they embark on their fatherhood journeys. They've even developed a public health survey tool for fathers called PRAMS (Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System) for Dads. It started in Georgia, but by the end of 2025, it'll be operational in eight states, and they're still trying to get it up and running in more places.
In a nutshell, PRAMS for Dads helps states focus their resources on the most pressing issues for new fathers and understand the significant impact dads have on their kids' wellbeing.
Research using data from PRAMS for Dads showed that dads can have a huge impact on things like breastfeeding and safe sleep practices for their infants. Garfield got a chance to share his insights during a three-day event in Australia, discussing ways to improve the health and well-being of fathers for the best outcomes for their kiddos.
So, next time you see a new dad looking a little blue or anxious, don't be afraid to ask if everything's okay and maybe help him connect with some resources to get the support he needs (just don't be a creep about it). His mental health matters, and so does his baby's!
- The impact of a father's mental health on a child's development, including emotional, cognitive, and social growth, is being emphasized by experts, calling attention to a father's mental health as something that should not be ignored.
- According to studies, a father's mental health can affect child development in multiple ways, with 14% of fathers dealing with postpartum depression, as per experts.
- The neuroscience community, including researchers at the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, are advocating for mental health screenings for new fathers, much like those for new mothers.
- Craig Garfield, a pediatrician and founder of the Family & Child Health Innovations Program at Lurie Children's, points out that with the birth of a child, things can become very stressful and it's crucial to adopt the same strategy for new fathers as for new mothers.
- In an effort to address the mental health needs of men during their fatherhood journey, Garfield and his team have developed a public health survey tool for fathers called PRAMS (Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System) for Dads, aiming to help states focus resources on the most pressing issues for new fathers and understand the significant impact dads have on their kids' well-being.
- As mental health among fathers is increasingly recognized as a crucial aspect of family health, research using data from PRAMS for Dads has shown that fathers play significant roles in areas such as breastfeeding and safe sleep practices for their infants, and the information collected helps improve the overall health and well-being of fathers for the best outcomes for their children.
