Help-seeking in perinatal fathers: a scoping review of needs, barriers, facilitators, and access to support.

Abstract

Fathers' contributions to child development are widely recognized, yet perinatal mental health research and care remain focused on mothers. Despite evidence of paternal emotional and mental health concerns, fathers' help-seeking behaviors are understudied. This scoping review applies the information-processing model of help-seeking to map literature on factors influencing the help-seeking process among fathers in the perinatal period in relation to emotional and mental health concerns, and the associated barriers and facilitators. Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, six databases were searched for studies published up to June 2025. Eligible studies examined fathers' help-seeking behaviors in the perinatal period (from conception up to 12 months after giving birth), perceived barriers and facilitators, and experiences with perinatal services. A total of 47 studies were included and assessed for methodological quality. Findings reveal diverse barriers and facilitators at individual, socio-cultural, and practical levels, influencing all help-seeking stages: encoding, generating options, decision-making, and evaluation; key barriers include fathers' individual factors, views on fatherhood and masculinity, and healthcare-related barriers, while digital resources emerged as a facilitator throughout the models' stages. Results underscore the need for a more integrated, father-inclusive approach to perinatal mental health care. Evidence-based recommendations for clinical practice and policy were highlighted. This study received no funding.