Grant: Team Grant: Boys' and Men's Health - LOI

The mental health of men and women is a high-priority public health issue not only in Canada but in all Western societies. Paternal depression is known to interfere with parenting quality and to increase the risk of children developing mental, behavioural, and social problems and evidence is accumulating that these negative effects begin in the early infant environment. Aside from these observations, research on paternal mental health during the period extending from pregnancy to early childhood is still in the preliminary stages since research to date has primarily focused on maternal depression. As such, data on mental health disorders among Canadian fathers and on risk factors that might predict such problems as depression and anxiety are almost non-existent. The FAME Team aims to promote the well-being of men expecting and raising young children as well as to improve health and social services for vulnerable fathers at risk for mental illness. To achieve these goals, the team members will build models explaining the mental health and services utilization of Canadian fathers. They will propose and test innovative interventions for promotion, prevention and screening related to the mental health of fathers of young children. Healthy fathers contribute to the development of their children and the well-being of families.