Table Of Content“The book is a great resource, providing information on how a father can be
affected by mental health issues during the perinatal stages, and the impact it
can have on all of those involved during this important stage of life. It covers
all types of ways that mental health issues can manifest and offers some great
advice too. Thanks to Jane and Mark for getting this book together; it will be so
beneficial to many”
Ashley Curry, volunteer for OCD Action and Maternal OCD,
keynote speaker for the NHS and the Maternal Mental Health Alliance,
lay member and researcher for Tourette’s Action
and teacher of IAPT therapists for OCD.
“This timely book arrives when the place of men in Western society is poorly
defined and less secure. Driven by post-industrial economics, the role of the
woman, Dr Hanley and Mr Williams suggest, has been recast as both bread-
winner and mother, leaving the male partner excluded and vulnerable. These
changes, they claim, lead to mental health problems for the entire family but most
perniciously for fathers. Controversially, they propose a surprising champion for
the status quo”
Stephen Paul Jones, RMN, BA, MBA,
retired lecturer in Mental Health Nursing.
“This exceptional book by Mark Williams and Dr Jane Hanley is likely to quickly
become the go-to resource for fathers’ mental health. Written expertly and sensi-
tively, it covers everything we need to know about diagnoses and conditions, the
impact on the whole family, infant bonding and interaction, and crucial informa-
tion on treatment and management. This book will shatter the stigma that fathers
face and help make it more likely that they will come forward to get the support
they need.”
Dr Andrew Mayers, perinatal mental health expert,
Bournemouth University.
Fathers and Perinatal Mental Health
It is only in recent years that there has been development in the awareness of the
father’s mental health. Yet, the father’s mental health can influence the mother,
the infant, the family and society. This book seeks to address the reasons why the
father or the potential father could suffer from a mental disorder or illness during
the perinatal period, his reactions and what can be done to help him.
The book explores the way in which a father’s mental health has presented
in the past and how it presents now. It looks at the father’s attitudes towards his
mental well-being and how he may self-manage and self-medicate. It examines
the impact and influence the potential father and the father’s mental health has on
his partner, infant and children. The reasons for certain disorders and illnesses
are outlined, along with how they may manifest and are managed. Treatment
options and types of medication are discussed and the ways in which the father
can access the best possible help and support. Stories from fathers who have suf-
fered from a particular mental illness or condition help others to understand both
the practicalities and realities.
The uniqueness of the shared stories from fathers highlights why recognition,
treatment and management are important to help other fathers improve their rela-
tionship with their partner and infant and to improve their own well-being. The
book is intended to help health practitioners and anyone who is concerned about
fathers’ mental health.
Jane Hanley has had an interest in perinatal mental health for almost forty years.
She has written, trained and lectured extensively on maternal and paternal men-
tal health, both nationally and internationally. Jane has had two other books pub-
lished on perinatal mental health.
Mark Williams is an author, speaker and international campaigner. In 2004
he himself experienced depression and anxiety after his son was born and has
enhanced his knowledge after speaking to hundreds of parents since 2011. He
has spoken on television and radio stations around the world and co-founded
‘International Father’s Mental Health Day’.
Fathers and Perinatal
Mental Health
A Guide for Recognition,
Treatment and Management
Jane Hanley and Mark Williams
First published 2020
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
52 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2020 Jane Hanley and Mark Williams
The right of Jane Hanley and Mark Williams to be identified as authors of
this work has been asserted by them in accordance with sections 77 and 78
of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced
or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means,
now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording,
or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in
writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or
registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation
without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record has been requested for this book
ISBN: 978-1-138-33030-6 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-138-33032-0 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-0-429-44794-5 (ebk)
Typeset in Times New Roman
by Nova Techset Private Limited, Bengaluru & Chennai, India
Contents
1 Fathers and perinatal mental health 1
2 Importance of good perinatal mental health 7
3 Exploring the types and manifestation of disorders 33
4 The types of conditions 49
5 Cross cutting themes 71
6 The involvement of the father 85
7 Treatment and management techniques 95
8 Lifestyle factors 111
9 Pharmaceutical interventions 125
10 Conclusion 135
Index 143
Chapter 1
Fathers and perinatal mental health
Introduction
The state of being a father has changed, fatherhood has changed. The nuclear
family with a mother, father and infant is no longer the norm (Ivens 2010). The
past 20 years have seen changes in the average family unit. There are now more
single fathers, same sex fathers and stay at home fathers with shared parenting.
The diversity of situations has meant that society needs to take the concerns
of fathers seriously. They are just as prone to suffer from mental illness in the
perinatal period, as mothers. They can have attachment issues with their offspring
and relationship difficulties with their partners. It is important that these factors
are recognized, not only for the sake of the father, but for the sake of the family.
For a while now, the focus has been on the mental health of the mother during
the perinatal period, and as a consequence, that includes the mental health of the
infant. However, this was not always the case. For centuries, mothers with mental
health ‘problems’ were either ignored by society or incarcerated into institutions.
The literature is littered with mad women whose behaviour was so outside the
norm following the birth of their baby, there was little chance they would be able
to look after their infant, and more likely, would have both themselves and their
child taken into some form of care (Brontë 1847, Gilbert & Gubar 1979).
If a woman became pregnant out of wedlock, that was always her fault and
very little, if any, blame was laid on the man. In marriage, however, one of the
prime responsibilities of the woman was to produce a son and heir. Matrimony was
supposed to provide the safe haven in which to rear the child. The support of two
parents, one to provide the childcare and the other to finance the arrangement was
often the accepted convention. If fathers were mad, bad or indifferent, there were few
who would challenge them. In the patriarchal societies, a social system where men
held the primary power both within the home and in society, the man had the right
to come and go as he pleased, with little to question his integrity or morals.
Madness and insanity were rarely talked about and often feared. The fear was
borne out of ignorance and the inability to treat, and in some instances, cure
the person. Men who were mentally ill with mania were ordinarily aggressive,
abusive and difficult to contain. Those who suffered from depression were morose
