BackgroundUp to 18% of men experience depression and/or anxiety during the transition to parenthood. Interventions designed specifically to promote the mental health of men during the transition to parenthood are scarce. Internet-delivered interventions may be acceptable and far-reaching in enhancing mental health, parenting knowledge, and healthy behaviors in expectant or new fathers.ObjectiveTo guide the development of Healthydads.ca, a website designed to enhance mental health and healthy behaviors in expectant fathers, a needs assessment was conducted to identify fathers’ perspectives of barriers to seeking help for emotional wellness, informational needs, and factors affecting the decision to visit such a website.MethodsOne hundred and seventy-four men whose partners were expecting, or had recently given birth, in 3 Canadian provinces (Quebec, Ontario, and Alberta) completed a Web-based survey inquiring about information needs related to psychosocial aspects of the transition to parenthood, lifestyle behaviors, parenting, and factors associated with the decision to visit a father-focused website.ResultsMost men (155/174, 89.1%) reported accessing the Internet to obtain information on pregnancy and spent an average of 6.2 hours online per month. Seeking information about parenting on the Internet was reported by 67.2% (117/174) of men, with a mean of 4.4 hours per month of online searching. Top barriers to seeking help to improve emotional wellness during the perinatal period were: no time to seek help/assistance (130/174, 74.7%), lack of resources available in the health care system (126/174, 72.4%), financial costs associated with services (118/174, 67.8%), and feeling that one should be able to do it alone (113/174, 64.9%). Information needs that were rated highly included: parenting/infant care (52.9-81.6%), supporting (121/174, 69.5%) and improving (124/174, 71.3%) relationship with their partner, work-family balance (120/174, 69.0%), improving sleep (100/174, 57.5%), and managing stress (98/174, 56.3%). Perceiving the website as personally relevant (151/174, 86.8%), credible (141/174, 81.0%), effective (140/145, 80.5%), and having an easy navigation structure (141/174, 81.0%) were identified as important factors related to a first website visit. Providing useful (134/174, 77.0%) and easy to understand (158/174, 90.8%) information, which was also free of charge (156/174, 89.7%), were considered important for deciding to prolong a website visit. Providing the possibility to post questions to a health professional (133/174, 76.4%), adding new content regularly (119/174, 68.4%), and personal motivation (111/174, 63.8%) were factors identified that would encourage a revisit.ConclusionsOur findings demonstrate that there is substantial interest among expectant and new fathers for using Internet-delivered strategies to prepare for the transition to parenthood and support their mental health. Specific user and website features were identified to optimize the use of father-focused websites.

Objective: To identify the substances used by people who die from suicide by overdose in Toronto and to determine the correlates of specific categories of substances used. Method:Coroner's records for all cases of suicide by overdose in Toronto, Ontario, during a 10-year period (1998 to 2007) were examined. Data collected included demographic data, all substances detected, and those determined by the coroner to have caused death. Logistic regression analyses were used to examine demographic and clinical factors associated with suicide by different drug types.Results: There were 397 documented suicides by overdose (mean age 49.1 years, 50% female). Most substances detected were psychotropic prescription medications (n = 245), followed by other prescription medications (n = 143) and over-the-counter (OTC) medications (n = 83). More than one-half of all suicides by overdose were determined to have only one specific substance as the cause of death (n = 206). In suicides where only one class of substance was present in lethal amounts, OTC medication (n = 48), opioid analgesics (n = 44), and tricyclic antidepressants (n = 44) were most common. Conclusions:Suicides by overdose involved the use of different classes of substances, including psychotropic prescription medication, other prescription medications, as well as OTC medications. Physicians and pharmacists should be aware of commonly used prescription and OTC medications in overdose and exercise increased vigilance in prescribing or dispensing them to at-risk patients. W W WObjectif : Identifier les substances utilisées par les personnes qui meurent d'un suicide par surdose à Toronto et déterminer les corrélats des catégories spécifiques des substances utilisées.Méthode : Les dossiers du coroner pour tous les cas de suicide par surdose à Toronto, Ontario, durant une période de 10 ans (de 1998 à 2007) ont été examinés. Les données recueillies comprenaient les données démographiques, toutes les substances détectées, et celles que le coroner a déterminé avoir causé la mort. Les analyses de régression logistique ont servi à examiner les facteurs démographiques et cliniques associés au suicide par différents types de drogues.Résultats : Il y a eu 397 suicides par surdose documentés (âge moyen 49,1 ans, 50 % féminins). La plupart des substances détectées étaient des médicaments psychotropes sur ordonnance (n = 245), suivies d'autres médicaments sur ordonnance (n = 143) et de médicaments en vente libre (EVL; n = 83). Il a été déterminé que plus de la moitié de tous les suicides par surdose n'avaient qu'une seule substance spécifique comme cause du décès (n = 206). Dans les suicides où une seule classe de substance était présente en quantité mortelle, un médicament EVL (n = 48), un analgésique opioïde (n = 44), et un antidépresseur tricyclique (n = 44) étaient les plus communs. Conclusions :Les suicides par surdose comportaient l'utilisation de différentes classes de substances, dont des médicaments psychotropes sur ordonnance, d'autres médicaments sur ordonnance, ainsi q...

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