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When a mother is supported to breastfeed, the benefits for her mental health are significant. However, if pressured or unsupported, the opposite is true. This research examines mothers' breastfeeding experiences, exploring how perceived pressure can impact perinatal mental health. A sample of 501 respondents to a research questionnaire was explored using Reflexive Thematic Analysis. Three main themes identified were perceived pressure to breastfeed, perceived pressure not to breastfeed and mental health impact. The main findings were that mothers received conflicting advice from healthcare professionals, and pressures to feed in a certain way came from their support networks, as well as from their internal beliefs. Perceived pressures negatively impacted maternal mental health, while positive breastfeeding experiences benefitted mental health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has shown that men are less likely than women to seek help for depression at any time of life due to barriers, including stereotypical masculine norms and stigma. The evidence suggests that approximately 10% of fathers experience postnatal depression, yet new and expectant fathers are not routinely offered screening or support in the same way as mothers. Therefore, this research explored the barriers fathers face to seeking help for paternal perinatal depression (PPD). Data were collected using an online survey. Initially, fathers with postnatal depression were compared to men experiencing depression at another time of their life in terms of their attitudes to seeking psychological help, conformity to masculine norms, self-stigma, and awareness of services. Secondly, a proposed model of help-seeking amongst fathers with postnatal depression was evaluated. Finally, additional barriers to help-seeking for paternal postnatal depression were explored qualitatively. A total of 125 participants took part in the quantitative comparison, and 50 of the fathers also provided qualitative data. No between-group differences were found, suggesting that the existing literature on barriers to seeking help for male depression is applicable to fathers with postnatal depression. The qualitative results also highlighted the need for better awareness of paternal postnatal depression and better access to services for fathers. Limitations, implications for policy, and directions for future research are discussed.