Fathers’ perceptions and experiences of support to be a parenting partner during the perinatal period: A scoping review

Abstract

Aims and objectives The aim of this study was to explore fathers’ perceptions and experiences of support in the perinatal period. Change in society has seen the increased visibility of fathers being involved during pregnancy and engaging in their infants’ lives and the expectation and benefits of men playing an equal and direct role in caring for their children. However, less is known about the nature of support that fathers require to facilitate this role transition. Design A scoping review was conducted in accordance with Arksey and O’Malley’s six‐step scoping review framework and the PRISMA‐ScR guidelines. Methods A systematic search of CINAHL Plus, MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, PsycARTICLES, PsycINFO, Psychology, Soc INDEX and Behavioural Sciences Collections databases for qualitative or mixed methods studies with qualitative data was undertaken. Qualitative data were extracted from original studies for coding and theme generation. Thematic synthesis was employed for the final stages of analysis. Results Overall, 23 papers were included. Men desired to fulfil their rite of passage to be an involved father to their child. This transitional process commenced with men articulating their commitment to creating a role as an involved father and to be a role model for their children. Becoming a father is seen as having a significant status in society which contributes to their self‐efficacy as fathers. Conclusion Fathers require support from all levels of the ‘ecosystem’ including policy, socio‐cultural and workplace changes as well as recognition and support from partners, family, peers and in particular from health service providers. Developing the parenting partnership requires a co‐production approach and commitment at macro, meso and micro levels. Relevance to clinical practice Supporting men to be engaged fathers requires policy, socio‐cultural and workplace changes; however, maternity services and particularly midwives have an important role in this change.

Increased family psychosocial focus during children’s developmental assessments: a study of parents’ views

“…We know from to the literature that paternal mental ill-health can lead to adverse child outcomes by a combination of pathways, modified by child characteristics and parental psychosocial factors [ 64 ]. Fathers tend to seek support related to parenting and mental health among their social network or they may seek informational support online [ 65 , 66 ]. Some turn to their GP when mental health problems become severe [ 65 , 67 ].…”

“…Some turn to their GP when mental health problems become severe [ 65 , 67 ]. Formal support from paternal groups is rarely accessible but may be desired by fathers [ 65 , 66 , 68 ]. Some fathers have previously emphasised the importance of addressing and normalising psychosocial challenges related to becoming a father [ 67 , 69 ].…”

Supporting families with complex early parenting needs through a virtual residential parenting service: An investigation of outcomes, facilitators and barriers

“…Mothers said that accessing the program from their own home meant that their partner was also able to participate—and this meant that both partners could learn to implement the strategies and experience increases in parenting confidence. There is now a wide body of evidence pointing to the important role that fathers or secondary caregivers can have in early parenting, and the positive impacts that this can have on the father–child relationship (Shorey & Ang, 2019) and the partner relationship (Leahy‐Warren et al., 2023). Research has also found that father involvement can predict lower levels of maternal depression (Maselko et al., 2019) and buffer the effects of maternal depression on child outcomes (Cimino et al., 2022).…”

Fathers' experiences of living with a child with a progressive life‐limiting condition without curative treatment options: A qualitative systematic review

“…When fathers strive to be acknowledged as part of the caring team, their opportunity to be an important source of information and to be a mutual partner in caring for their child is not being looked after. The feeling of not being acknowledged does not seem to be a unique experience for fathers of children with C3 conditions but is a shared experience by fathers in general (Chin et al, 2011; Høgmo et al, 2021; Leahy‐Warren et al, 2022). This might indicate a structural problem in fathers' role within paediatric health care.…”