Paternal Mental Health Training
Fathers Network Scotland have teamed up with Dads Rock and NHS Tayside to offer a programme of FREE training to professionals working in Tayside who want to better support dads in their service.
If you want to start supporting new dads' mental health but aren’t sure how, join one of our FREE one-hour online FOUNDATIONS sessions.
If you are already supporting new dads with mental health challenges and want to deepen your understanding, develop practical strategies, and connect with a diverse group of professionals across Tayside, join our FREE half-day in-person ADVANCED training.
Why Paternal Mental Health Matters
The first 1,000 days of a child’s life, spanning from pregnancy to their second birthday, are the most influential in shaping their future. During this time, a child’s brain develops at an extraordinary rate, and the experiences they have can profoundly impact their physical, cognitive, and emotional growth.
To give every child the best possible start, it's essential for practitioners to support not only new mums but also recognise the often-overlooked needs of new dads. Fathers play a pivotal role in their children's early development, and their mental health is crucial to that process.
One in eight fathers experience postnatal depression, and up to 45% of dads are affected by postnatal stress and anxiety. These mental health challenges can significantly impact a father’s ability to bond with, care for, and nurture his child. If left unaddressed, poor paternal mental health can ripple through the family, affecting the mother’s well-being and influencing the child’s emotional, intellectual, and psychological development.
It’s crucial that we take an inclusive, holistic approach to supporting all parents during this critical period. By prioritising paternal mental health and ensuring fathers receive the support they need, we can create healthier family environments and foster positive outcomes for both parents and children.
Foundations (Free)
Understand Paternal Mental Health
Join us for a free, engaging 1-hour online training session via Zoom that explores the often-overlooked mental health journey of new fathers and its profound impact on families.
We will dive into the unique challenges fathers face during the transition into fatherhood, offering valuable perspectives on how these challenges affect not just dads, but their partners, children, and overall family dynamics. By the end of the session, you'll leave with a renewed, eye-opening understanding of fatherhood and paternal mental health.
What you'll learn: How biological, psychological, and social factors affect new dads' mental health and the profound impact it can have on whole families. You'll also explore how engaging with dads can create stronger family support systems and contribute to more positive outcomes for everyone involved.
Ideal For: Professionals working with families and children, as well as those supporting dads directly through fatherhood groups or services, who want to deepen their understanding of paternal mental health and its impact.
Advanced (Free)
Strengthen Confidence, Develop Practical Skills, & Build Capacity
We are offering ~16 professionals from across Tayside the opportunity to join us in a FREE, intensive half-day in-person training session at Ninewells on Friday 6 March at 9:30AM.
During the session we’ll explore the complexities of paternal mental health, offering evidence-based insights, and real-world examples. You will have an opportunity to identify and respond to your team/organisations unique challenges.
What You’ll Learn: Practical strategies to meet your organisation’s needs, including the latest on paternal mental health, signs of depression and anxiety, supporting dads, overcoming engagement barriers, and adapting practices to improve service delivery. By the end of the session, you’ll leave feeling more confident in your ability to support dads and enhance outcomes for the families you work with.
Ideal For: Practitioners looking to build confidence in effectively supporting dads and addressing their mental health needs. Managers looking to build their services capacity to support new dads. As this is a multi-agency event it will also offer plenty of opportunity to make new connections, exchange ideas and collaborate on effective solutions with a range of professionals from across Tayside.
! As spaces are limited and demand is high, please click below to register your interest and share a little about yourself and why you’d like to attend:
Understanding Young Men & Dads Training
Current public narratives often frame masculinity through the lens of "risk and deficit," using hot button terms like "toxic masculinity" and "the manosphere."
While these discussions address real issues, they frequently overlook the everyday realities of young men and fail to recognise masculinity as a potential strength that can be positively nurtured.
Recent research paints a stark picture. Young men are being left behind:
• Education: Women outnumber men in UK universities three to two.
• Economics: 15% of men aged 16–24 are not in education, employment, or training (NEET).
• Health: Men die five years earlier than women on average. In Scotland’s most deprived communities, this gap widens to 13 years compared to the least deprived areas.
• Mental Health: Suicide rates among teenage boys are three times higher than girls, yet men remain less likely to seek help.
Fatherhood as a Catalyst for Change
For approximately 75% of UK men, becoming a father is a major life transition that can prompt reflection, healthier identity development, and behavioural change. Biological, social, and psychological evidence shows that this shift can increase empathy, boost emotional engagement, and provide the motivation to reduce harmful behaviours.
However, this opportunity is often undermined by widespread, and often undiagnosed, paternal mental health issues, particularly among young and disadvantaged fathers. Failing to support fathers doesn't just hurt men; it triggers a negative ripple effect that impacts mothers, children, and the wider society.
A New Approach to Support
Rather than framing masculinity as a a problem to be solved, we must shift our focus to a more urgent question on how we will better equip young men to navigate these challenges and lead healthy, fulfilling lives?
And, for those who embark on the journey of parenthood, the transition to fatherhood represents a key, yet often overlooked, opportunity. While becoming a dad is not a 'fix' for structural pressures, it is a powerful turning point that can truly fortify a man’s health and wellbeing, but how can our services evolve to better support men at this pivotal moment?
Training: Understand Young Men & Dads
Join us for a FREE session as we address these questions and explore how services can better support young men’s health and future outcomes.
What you'll learn: The common challenges young men face, particularly those living in social deprivation; why men are less likely to seek help with health, and more likely to participate in unhealthy behaviours; the unique challenges fathers face during the transition into fatherhood and how this period can be used as opportunity for positive change; how we can better support and engage with young men?
Ideal For: Professionals working with families and children, and young men particularly those in health care settings.