Health visitors’ experiences of supporting fathers with paternal postnatal depression

Abstract

There is increasing recognition that fathers are susceptible to experiencing postnatal depression (PND). Despite health visitors being ideally placed to support fathers experiencing psychological distress, little is known about their experiences in supporting fathers as part of the family unit. The aim of this study, therefore, was to more fully understand the experiences of health visitors in the UK in supporting fathers with PND. The study used semi-structured interviews with six health visitors who were asked about their perceptions, experiences and understanding of working with fathers. Thematic analysis of the qualitative data produced four major themes: health visitors’ understanding of fathers, the family and PND; systemic health visiting failures that prevent optimal care for fathers; barriers to working with fathers; and improvements to health visiting practice that would benefit fathers. Based on these findings, four recommendations for health visiting practice are made.