Abstract
The transition to parenthood can be stressful for mothers and fathers, yet education and psychosocial supports are far less available for fathers. When fathers lack information and support during this transition, they are likely to experience psychological distress, potentially influencing adjustment of mother and infant. This study examined the feasibility and acceptability of Becoming Fathers, a brief intervention for expectant and new fathers that combined education and self-care skills like mindfulness in a supportive group format. Two cohorts of men (n = 19), recruited through obstetric clinics, healthcare providers, and university listservs participated in the 5-week program. We examined the feasibility of our recruitment, assessment, and implementation protocols. Fathers indicated satisfaction on brief surveys completed after each session, and through open-ended qualitative responses collected at the end of the program. Results indicated feasibility of the protocols, and positive engagement of the fathers although recruiting this specific population remains a challenge. Qualitative responses, coded and organized into higher-order themes, indicated fathers found the intervention to be valuable, reporting the pairing of skills-based education and supportive group process created a positive learning environment. Higher-order themes emerged of community, openness/vulnerability, utility of information, and the need for more time. Mindfulness skills evoked mixed sentiments. Expectant and new fathers are not currently well supported by available programs, and there is a clear need for additional interventions focused on fathers’ experiences. Becoming Fathers, a father-focused parenting intervention targeting the transition to parenthood, has potential to meet the needs of new fathers.
Highlights
-
Intervention aimed at perinatal fathers is a promising option for supporting early family development.
-
Expecting and new fathers reported valuing the opportunity to connect with each other in a structured group setting.
-
First-time perinatal fathers noted appreciating the combination of education with supportive group discussion.
-
Becoming Fathers has potential as an intervention and requires further investigation to determine efficacy.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bakermans-Kronenburg, M. J., Lotz, A., Alyousefi-van Djik, K., & van Ijzendoorn, M. (2019). Birth of a father: Fathering in the first 1000 days. Child Development Perspectives, 13(4), 247–253. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12347.
Bartholomew, N. G., Hiller, M. L., Knight, K., Nucatola, D. C., & Simpson, D. D. (2000). Effectiveness of communication and relationship skills training for men in substance abuse treatment. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 18(3), 217–225. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0740-5472(99)00051-3.
Bayley, J., Wallace, L. M., & Choudhry, K. (2009). Fathers and parenting programs: Barriers and best practice. Community Practitioner, 82(4), 28–31.
Bonevski, B., Randell, M., Paul, C., Chapman, K., Twyman, L., Bryant, J., Brozek, I., & Hughes, C. (2014). Reaching the hard-to-reach: A systematic review of strategies for improving health and medical research with socially disadvantaged groups. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 14(1), 1–29. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2288-14-42.
Boyce, P., Condon, J., Barton, J., & Corkindale, C. (2007). First-time fathers study: Psychological distress in expectant fathers during pregnancy. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 41(9), 718–725. https://doi.org/10.1080/00048670701517959.
Cameron, E., Sedhov, I., & Tomfohr-Madsen, L. (2016). Prevalence of paternal depression in pregnancy and the postpartum: An updated meta-analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders, 206, 189–203. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2016.07.044.
Carlson, J., Edleson, J. L., & Kimball, E. (2014). First-time fathers’ experiences of and desires for formal support: A multiple lens perspective. Fathering, 12(3), 242–261. https://doi.org/10.3149/fth.1203.242.
Coatsworth, D., Duncan, L. G., Nix, R. L., Greenberg, M. T., Gayles, J. G., Bamberger, K. T., & Dami, M. A. (2015). Integrating mindfulness with parent training: Effects of the mindfulness-enhanced strengthening families program. Developmental Psychology, 51(1), 26–35. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0038212.
Condon, J., Corkindale, C., Boyce, P., & Gamble, E. (2013). A longitudinal study of father-to-infant attachment: Antecedents and correlates. Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, 31(1), 15–30. https://doi.org/10.1080/02646838.2012.757694.
Cormack, D., Jones, F. W., & Maltby, M. (2018). A “collective effort to make yourself feel better”: The group process in mindfulness-based interventions. Qualitative Health Research, 28(1), 3–15. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732317733448.
Da Costa, D., Zelkowitz, P., Dasgupta, K., Sewitch, M., Lowensteyn, I., Cruz, R., Hennegan, K., & Khalife, S. (2017). Dads get sad too: Depressive symptoms and associated factors in expectant first-time fathers. American Journal of Men’s Health, 11(5), 1376–1384. https://doi.org/10.1177/1557988315606963.
Dimidjian, S., Goodman, S. H., Felder, J. N., & Gallop, R. (2016). Staying well during pregnancy and the postpartum: A pilot randomized trial of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for the prevention of depressive relapse/recurrence. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 84(2), 134–145. https://doi.org/10.1037/ccp0000068.
Doss, B. D., Rhoades, G. K., Stanley, S. M., & Markman, H. J. (2009). The effect of the transition to parenthood on relationship quality: An 8-year prospective study. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 96(3), 601–619. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0013969.
Draper, J. (2003). Men’s passage to fatherhood: An analysis of the contemporary relevance of transition theory. Nursing Inquiry, 10(1), 66–77. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1440-1800.2003.00157.x.
Duncan, L., & Bardacke, N. (2010). Mindfulness-based childbirth and parenting education: Promoting family mindfulness during the perinatal period. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 19, 190–202. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-009-9313-7.
Durtschi, J. A., Soloski, K. L., & Kimmes, J. (2017). The dyadic effects of supportive coparenting and parental stress on relationship quality across the transition to parenthood. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 43(2), 308–321. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmft.12194.
Friedewald, M., Fletcher, R., & Fairbairn, H. (2005). All-male discussion forums for expectant fathers: evaluation of a model. Journal of Perinatal Education, 14(2), 8–18. https://doi.org/10.1624/105812405X44673.
Garfield, C. F., Duncan, G., Rutsohn, J., McDad, T. W., Adam, E. K., Coley, R. L., & Chase-Lansdale, L. (2014). A longitudinal study of paternal mental health during transition to fatherhood as young adults. Pediatrics, 133(5), 836–843. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2013-3262.
Gerson, K. (2010). The unfinished revolution: How a new generation is reshaping family, work, and gender in America. Oxford University Press.
Halme, N., Tarkka, M.-T., Nummi, T., & Astedt-Kurki, P. (2006). The effects of parenting stress on fathers’ availability and engagement. Child Care in Practice, 12, 13–26.
Heppner, W. L., & Shirk, S. D. (2018). Mindful moments: A review of brief, low‐intensity mindfulness meditation and induced mindful states. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 12(12), e12424 https://doi.org/10.1111/spc3.12424.
Ives, J. (2014). Men, maternity, and moral residue: Negotiating the moral demands of the transition to first time fatherhood. Sociology of Health and Illness, 36, 1003–1019. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9566.12138.
Jeynes, W. (2016). Meta-analysis on the roles of fathers in parenting: Are they unique? Marriage and Family Review, 52, 665–688. https://doi.org/10.1080/01494929.2016.1157121.
Kabat-Zinn, J. (2015). Mindfulness. Mindfulness, 6, 1481–1483. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-015-0456-x.
Khoury, B., Sharma, M., Rush, S. E., & Fournier, C. (2015). Mindfulness-based stress reduction for healthy individuals: A meta-analysis. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 789(6), 515–528. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2015.03.009.
Knoester, C., & Petts, R. J. (2017). Fathers’ parenting stress after the arrival of a new child. Family Relations, 66(3), 367–382. https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12263.
Kowlessar, O., Fox, J., & Wittkowski, A. (2015a). The pregnant male: A metasynthesis of first-time fathers’ experiences of pregnancy. Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, 33(2), 106–127. https://doi.org/10.1080/02646838.2014.970153.
Kowlessar, O., Fox, J., & Wittkowski, A. (2015b). First-time fathers’ experiences of parenting during the first year. Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, 33(1), 4–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/02646838.2014.971404.
Kozlowski, A. (2013). Mindful mating: Exploring the relationship between mindfulness and relationship satisfaction. Sexual and Relationship Theory, 28(1–2), 92–104. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681994.2012.748889.
Kushner, K. A., Pitre, N., Williamson, D. L., Breitkreuz, R., & Rempel, G. (2014). Anticipating parenthood: Women’s and men’s meanings, expectations and idea(l)s in Canada. Marriage & Family Review, 50(1), 1–34. https://doi.org/10.1080/01494929.2013.834026.
Lee, J. Y., Knauer, H. A., Lee, S. J., MacEachern, M. P., & Garfield, C. F. (2018). Father inclusive perinatal parent education programs: A systematic review. Pediatrics, 142(1), e20180437 https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2018-0437.
Liyana Amin, N. A., Wilson, W. W. S., & Shefaly, S. (2018). Enhancing first-time parents’ self-efficacy: A systematic review and meta-analysis of universal parent education interventions’ efficacy. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 82, 149–162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2018.03.021.
MacDonald, E., & Hastings, R. (2010). Mindful parenting and care involvement of fathers of children with intellectual disabilities. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 19, 236–240. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-008-9243-9.
Matvienko-Sikar, K., & Dockray, S. (2017). Effects of a novel positive psychological intervention on prenatal stress and well-being: A pilot randomized controlled trial. Women and Birth, 30(2), e111–e118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wombi.2016.10.003.
McLaughlin, K., & Muldoon, O. (2014). Father identity, involvement, and work-family balance: An in-depth interview study. Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology, 24(5), 439–452. https://doi.org/10.1002/casp.2183.
Newkirk, K., Perry-Jenkins, M., & Sayer, A. (2017). Division of household and childcare labor and relationship conflict among low-income new parents. Sex Roles, 76(5–6), 319–333. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-016-0604-3.
Panter-Brick, C., Burgess, A., Eggerman, M., McAllister, F., Pruett, K., & Leckman, J. F. (2014). Practitioner review: Engaging fathers – recommendations for a game change in parenting interventions based on a systematic review of the global evidence. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 55(11), 1187–1212. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12280.
Paulson, J. F., Bazemore, S. D., Goodman, J. H., & Leiferman, J. A. (2016). The course and interrelationship of maternal and paternal perinatal depression. Archives of Women’s Mental Health, 19(4), 655–663. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-016-0598-4.
Peled, E., & Perel, G. (2012). Can a structured model for group intervention be responsive to group process? A proposal. Journal of Clinical Social Work, 40, 391–400.
Ramchandani, P., Stein, A., Evans, J., & O’Connor, T., ALSPAC Study Team. (2005). Paternal depression in the postnatal period and child development: a prospective population study. The Lancet, 365(9478), 2201–2205. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(05)66778-5.
Rayburn, S. R. & Coatsworth, J. D. (2021). Becoming Fathers: Initial exploration of a support program for new fathers. The Journal of Perinatal Education, 30(2), 78–88. https://doi.org/10.1891/J-PE-D-20-00015.
Roberts, C. (2008). Developing future leaders: The role of reflection in the classroom. Journal of Leadership Education, 7(1), 116–130.
Schober, P. (2012). Paternal child care and relationship quality: A longitudinal analysis of reciprocal associations. Journal of Marriage and Family Therapy, 74(2), 281–296. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3737.2011.00955.x.
Turner, V. (1969). The ritual process: Structure and anti-structure. Penguin Books.
Tremblay, S., & Pierce, T. (2011). Perceptions of fatherhood: Longitudinal reciprocal associations within the couple. Canadian Journal of Behavioral Science, 43(2), 99–110. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0022635.
Trillingsgaard, T., Baucom, K. J., & Heyman, R. E. (2014). Predictors of change in relationship satisfaction during the transition to parenthood. Family Relations, 63, 667–679. https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12089.
van Wietmarschen, H., Tjaden, B., van Vlient, M., Battjes-Fries, M., & Jong, M. (2018). Effects of mindfulness training on perceived stress, self-compassion, and self-reflection of primary care physicians: A mixed-methods study. British Journal of General Practice Open, 2(4), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgpopen18X101621.
Viskovich, S., & De George-Walker, L. (2019). An investigation of self-care related constructs in undergraduate psychology students: Self-compassion, mindfulness, self-awareness, and integrated self-knowledge. International Journal of Educational Research, 95, 109–117. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2019.02.005.
Wilson, N., Lee, J. J., & Bei, B. (2019). Postpartum fatigue and depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders, 246(March), 224–233. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2018.12.032.
Wright, B., & Edington, E. (2016). Evidence-based parenting interventions to promote secure attachment: Findings from a systematic review and meta-analysis. Global Pediatric Health, 3, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1177/2333794X16661888.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare no competing interests. Partial financial support was provided by the Colorado State University Prevention Research Center. The Institutional Review Board at Colorado State University approved this project (No. 19-9091H) in accordance with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. Written consent was obtained from all participants.
Additional information
Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rayburn, S.R., Coatsworth, J.D. & MacPhee, D. Becoming Fathers: A Mixed-methods Study of the Feasibility and Acceptability of a Mindfulness-Based Group Intervention for Perinatal Fathers. J Child Fam Stud 30, 2822–2832 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-021-02105-z
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-021-02105-z