First-time fathers' experiences of and desires for formal support: a multiple lens perspective

The transition to first-time fatherhood has been shown to be a stressful time for men and social support is a factor that influences this experience. Research on fir st-time fathers' experiences with formal support, such as programmatic efforts like childbirth classes and family education, is l...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inFathering (Harriman, Tenn.) Vol. 12; no. 3; pp. 242 - 261
Main Authors Carlson, Juliana, Edleson, Jeffrey L, Kimball, Ericka
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Harriman Men's Studies Press 22.09.2014
Subjects
Behavior
Best Practices
Birth
Child Abuse
Childbirth & labor
Education
Educational Experience
Father Attitudes
Fatherhood
Fathers
Focus Groups
Literature Reviews
Males
Mens health
Mothers
Obstetrics
Parent Education
Pregnancy
Psychological aspects
Qualitative research
Servers
Social support
Studies
Support groups
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Summary:The transition to first-time fatherhood has been shown to be a stressful time for men and social support is a factor that influences this experience. Research on fir st-time fathers' experiences with formal support, such as programmatic efforts like childbirth classes and family education, is limited. This qualitative study explores first-time fathers' experiences with formal support, using data from focus groups with fathers and women with whom they co-parent, as well as community consultations with professionals who serve expectant and new parents. The findings indicated there is value in and benefits from formal support and at the same time there are limits in the current forms available for men. Suggestions are made to expand and tailor first-time fathers' formal support opportunities.
ISSN:1537-6680
1933-026X
DOI:10.3149/fth.1203.242