06/03/2026
June is Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month, and I (Kelajah) want to take a moment to highlight something that matters deeply to families: father’s health matters, too.
Research shows that paternal mental distress during the perinatal period is associated with poorer child development in social-emotional, cognitive, language, physical, and overall developmental outcomes. In other words, a father’s mental well-being can influence not only how he shows up for his family, but also the environment his child is developing in.
Science is also expanding our understanding of father’s role before conception. A 2013 PNAS study found that paternally expressed genes predominate in the placenta, highlighting the father’s biologic contribution to placental development. Other research suggests that a father’s preconception health, including nutrition, stress, sleep, and other lifestyle factors, can affect s***m biology and may influence offspring health.
When men are carrying chronic stress, poor sleep, untreated depression, or other mental health struggles, it can affect their well-being, their relationships, and potentially the next generation. Supporting fathers is not separate from supporting mothers and babies; it is part of healthy family care.
As we continue this Men’s Mental Health series, we’ll keep sharing ways fathers can protect their health and show up as healthy, supportive father figures.
Stay tuned.
- Kelajah Shepard
Learn more about the husband & wife duo behind Be Well: https://www.bewellbycandace.com/about
