Struggling with Fatherhood

Researchers highlight the four main issues men battle during the transition to fatherhood, including stress and isolation

Becoming a father can be a daunting life transition, which, for many men, can be a stressful and isolating experience. Yet, fathers often lack access to support and information to help them cope during this transition. This is significant, as without support, it may increase a father's risk of developing mental health problems—such as postnatal depression.

To better understand the struggles that men experience during the transition to fatherhood, researchers conducted a global review of the available evidence on fathers' mental health and well-being. They included 37 different studies in the review; these studies used a number of different approaches—including in-depth interviews, phone discussions, and online surveys.

While some fathers had a positive experience during the fatherhood transition with no impact on their mental health, others found this period more challenging. Based on these findings, researchers were able to identify four key struggles men experienced when becoming a father. By understanding the most common struggles new fathers' experience, this may make it easier to provide them the right help and support in the future.

1. Changed relationship with their partner Many fathers struggled with the change and sometimes loss of their romantic relationship with their partner. The overwhelming demands that came with becoming a father, such as exhaustion and new parenting responsibilities, left little time for leisure and intimacy. The transition created a division between some couples that led to poor emotional well-being for fathers.