FATHER IN THE PERINATAL PERIOD: NEW RESEARCH DIRECTIONS

Cataudella Stefania

2017-01-01

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Abstract

Traditionally, the interest of perinatal mental health professionals has focused on expectant and new mothers, but it has become clearer in more recent years that the perinatal period is a time of psychological vulnerability for expectant and new fathers too (Baldoni, 2014; Di Folco & Zavattini, 2014). As men become bonded to their infants, this helps the development of his identity as a father and is also likely to support his partner’s transition into motherhood (Lundqvist et al., 2007). Some studies have revealed that pregnancy directly affects the psychological and physiological functioning of future fathers (Genesoni & Tallandini, 2009; Poh et al, 2014), but these have examined the broader experiences and challenges encountered by fathers and their experiences of maternity services. However, the studies on the subject of the transition to parenthood, showed a substantial (relative) lack of research specifically focused on father’s mental health and wellbeing during the perinatal period (Habib & Lancaster, 2010; Gettler et al, 2011). Wong et al (2016) highlighted that men are at increased risk of mental health problems during the transition to fatherhood. Paternal mental health during the perinatal period is reported to have various effects on the health of the whole family (Darwin et al, 2017). The aim of this Symposium is to present some innovative researches about the role of the father in the perinatal period to identify risk and protective factors in the transition to fatherhood. The first of these explores the influence of intra- and interpersonal variables on the paternal-fetal attachment; the second regards the relatioship between paternal sensitivity and preterm birth; the third explores the Depression, Anxiety and Parenting Stress in father of twins and the last regards the experience of infertility in men during the assisted reproductive technology treatment.