Fathers' mental health pre- and post-pregnancy has received little attention in comparison to mothers. As Prince William said himself of becoming a father, "It’s one of the most amazing moments of life, but it’s also one of the scariest." Dads – as well as mums – struggle during the perinatal period, but many fathers don’t get asked about their mental health during the antenatal and postnatal period. And when they were asked, many reports have said that up to 39% of new fathers wanted support for their mental health and one in five felt totally isolated in the first year of fatherhood.

In short, a lot of dads struggle in silence.

On the lead up to Father’s Day and International Fathers’ Mental Health Day, the Happier Life Project speaks to parental mental health speaker, author and international campaigner Mark Williams who founded International Fathers Mental Health Day and the #Howareyoudad campaign to make sure all parents are having support for the whole family.

Mark himself experienced paternal postpartum depression and suffered in silence for years until he entered community mental health services. Talking to host Gabby, Mark shares his research around fathers and their mental health, advising on the signs to look out for when dad’s may be struggling and squashing the myth that men don’t like to talk. Mark and Gabby also discuss how alpha mums might unintentionally leave a father feeling sidelined and the impact of what dad's witnessing a traumatic delivery can do to their mental health. Mark also explains why if we help support dad's too, we are helping the whole family unit.

To download the free My Possible Self App: https://mypossibleself.app.link/podcast

For Dad’s Who May be Struggling - Hub Of Hope: https://hubofhope.co.uk/