Socioecological factors associated with fathers' well-being difficulties in the early parenting period

Background Well-being difficulties such as depression, anxiety, stress, and fatigue are common among fathers. However, little is understood about factors that might place fathers at increased risk of well-being difficulties or protective factors that reduce the likelihood of experiencing these problems. The aim of the present study was to use a socioecological perspective to explore a range of individual and microsystem factors associated with depression, anxiety, stress, and fatigue in fathers. Methods The study sample consisted of 133 Australian fathers of young children, aged 0-6 years, who had completed a parent well-being survey. Results Multiple regressions revealed that a range of individual and microsystem factors significantly explained variance in depression, anxiety, stress, and fatigue, including poor sleep quality, a number of coping strategies, parental self-efficacy, and social support. Conclusions Fathers are at risk of experiencing a range of well-being difficulties. Implications for potential targets for interventions to improve the well-being of fathers are discussed. © 2013 The Australian Psychological Society.