| Key dates | Closing 30 November 2023 |
| Participants sought | Social workers who work with fathers, mothers and birthing parents in the perinatal period. |
| About | There is a growing need for new approaches to providing information and support to first-time fathers. According to recent research, first-time fathers want programs that are informative but also allow them to interact with other men about their experiences with fatherhood. However, men face significant barriers accessing in-person services during pregnancy and soon after the birth (e.g., programs are run during business hours). We know that fathers can be more easily engaged directly on their mobile phones, although programs that also include peer interaction and support have not been adequately evaluated. In addition, engaging health professionals, particularly those in primary care settings (e.g., GPs, midwives, rural generalists, social workers, etc) to help refer first-time fathers to such programs has not been described in the literature. |
| What is involved | Social workers nationally are invited to complete a 15–20-minute anonymous online questionnaire. Those practising in Western Australia and Queensland are also invited to complete a 30–40-minute semi-structured online interview. |
| How to get involved | Follow this link to the project information page |
| or get in touch with Richard Pascal (details below). |
| Institution and investigator contact | Richard Pascal |
| PhD Candidate, Health Sciences, Curtin University |
| 0493 471 645 |
| Email: Richard Pascal |
