Abstract / Summary
Background: /Objectives: Research on perinatal mental health often explores motherhood, with little attention given to fathers’ experiences. Even less is known about how Black fathers navigate emotional well-being, distress and social support during the transition to fatherhood. This qualitative study explores Black fathers’ perspectives on cultural beliefs, values, health and social support with respect to paternal perinatal anxiety and depression within the Canadian context.
Methods: 20 qualitative, semi-structured interviews were conducted virtually. Participants were eligible if they self-identified as men, were Black fathers with parental rights to one child and were present at their child’s birth in Canada between 2019 – 2025. Participants were recruited via purposive and reverse snowball sampling. Interviews were coded inductively for relevant patterns. Data analysis was guided by the Black Feminist Theory and Critical Race Theory.
Results: The identified themes were: (1) the quiet struggle of new fatherhood; (2) bridging the gap: exploring inclusive care for Black fathers’ perinatal mental health; (3) the weight of strength: support, resilience, and the hidden burden; (4) cultural perspectives on perinatal mental health: influence, resistance, and belief systems; and (5) balancing acts: Black fathers’ mental health amid partner support and self-care.
Conclusions: Fathers described managing their own distress while supporting partners and navigating expectations of strength and emotional restraint. Their accounts suggest that perinatal services should make space to ask fathers about their wellbeing and support needs, while recognizing that Black fathers differ in how they understand and seek support. Greater attention to Black fathers’ perspectives on navigating perinatal mental health in Canada may inform inclusive approaches to care and policy, reflective of the true intersections of race, gender and culture.