How do fathers experience perinatal loneliness and what can we do about it?
You are invited to the Following Young Fathers Further May webinar, where we will be joined by Dr Ruth-Naughton Doe (Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Mental Health Social Care Research Centre at the University of York) and Niall Bacon (Peer Support Facilitator at Steel City Dads)
Date: Wednesday 28 May
Time: 12pm
Location: Zoom (a joining link will be emailed to registered attendees in advance)
All are welcome to attend, see full details and register here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/how-do-fathers-experience-perinatal-loneliness-and-what-can-we-do-about-it-tickets-1317393462309?aff=oddtdtcreator
Perinatal loneliness is a common experience for new parents. They are at greater risk of loneliness due to changes in their available time, resources, social networks and relationships. In May’s webinar, Ruth Naughton-Doe shares findings from the ‘Coproducing Solutions to Perinatal Loneliness Project’ (October 22- June 24) which asked fathers about their experiences of loneliness and what can be done to support them. Maternal loneliness is associated with perinatal depression, but at the time of this research, little was known about fathers’ experiences. The study found that fathers were experiencing emotional, social and emotional loneliness, though often they did not relate to the term ‘lonely’. Loneliness was driven by poor paternity leave, limited support for fathers and gendered assumptions about their role as a parent. This webinar shares the findings of this study as well as recommendations for policy and practice, including the importance of developing father-inclusive services, and urgently addressing inequalities in parental leave.
Niall Bacon from Steel City Dads will share his hands-on experience in developing and delivering a perinatal mental health peer support service for fathers in Sheffield. This presentation focuses on the practical realities of setting up and running such a service, reflecting on what works, what doesn’t and the positive outcomes for those that attend.
Story submitted by Rosanna Bartlett-Dickinson
rbartlettdickinson@lincoln.ac.uk