Fatherhood and Paternal Mental Health

Being a dad is one of the most meaningful roles a man can take on, and one of the most demanding. Becoming a father, or meeting the shifting needs of a growing family, is one of the biggest identity shifts you'll ever go through. Personal time, hobbies, and even the dynamic with your partner can suddenly take a back seat, and the pressures that come with that are real, common, and too often overlooked.

Paternal depression and anxiety are real

Fathers can also experience post natal depression. Around one in ten new dads go through paternal postnatal depression, and many more struggle with anxiety, low mood, or a sense of disconnection.

The pressures fathers carry

Fatherhood brings a particular set of pressures:

• The weight of being both provider and present parent, and feeling you're falling short at both.

• Exhaustion, lost independence, and the guilt that can come with resenting either.

• Strain on the relationship with your partner as roles and priorities shift.

• The pressure to hold everything together and not let anyone see the strain.

Support that's built for dads

This is a space to work through the emotional side of fatherhood honestly, without judgment and without having to perform being fine. Depending on what's going on, the work might focus on managing stress and low mood, rebuilding connection with your partner, easing the pressure you put on yourself, or making sense of how your own upbringing is shaping the father you want to be.