Richard Fletcher

The Assessment and Support of New Fathers Richard Fletcher

The assessment of men's needs as they become fathers is essential to improve health outcomes for fathers, infants and mothers. However fathers' needs reach beyond his own wellbeing to include his need to support the mother and his need to form a secure bond with their infant. Based on a review of attachment theory and using the template of psychosocial assessment currently employed for women a framework for assessing new fathers' needs is laid out. The opportunity to support new fathers via the internet is explored by considering how well existing web sites meet the information and support needs of new fathers. A randomised control trial utilising professional support and newly developed electronic information packages illustrates the nature and scope of services required by new fathers.