Mental health for new dads is critical. Just like mothers can struggle with their mental health during pregnancy and post-pregnancy, dads can struggle too.
Statistics find that 1 in 10 men will experience anxiety or depression during pregnancy and the first post-partum year.
This new life stage is exciting, but it can be challenging as you navigate new territory. Self care is important.
The transition to parenthood is a teachable moment – to promote your mental health it’s important to reflect on your lifestyle choices, prepare for the new journey ahead and ensure you prioritise your mental health and wellbeing.
We are excited to be joined by our guest Dr Deborah Da Costa. If you are about to start your fathering journey, this is a podcast you don’t want to miss. We discuss what dads need to do during this time to look after their mental health. Further to this, we look at society as a whole and actions we need to take to better support fathers.
About our guest
Dr. Da Costa is an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine at McGill University and Scientist at the Centre for Outcomes Research & Evaluation at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre.
Her research focuses on conducting prospective studies to better understand determinants of psychological difficulties and health behaviours for mothers and fathers during the transition to parenthood.
These studies have laid the foundation for the knowledge-transfer phase of her research program, which focuses on designing and evaluating evidence-based gender-tailored web-based psychoeducational interventions to promote the mental health and health behaviours of expectant mothers and fathers during this critical life stage.
