Bachelor star Matty J backs mental health screening of new dads

Reality TV helped Matthew Johnson find love, but then fatherhood brought a plot twist of its own.

The former Bachelor contestant-turned podcast host and father of three, commonly known as Matty J, said one of the most isolating times in his life was when he first became a dad.

"It was this weird juxtaposition of having an amazing partner, having children — something that I'd always dreamed about — but at the same time feeling incredibly lonely and not knowing where to turn to for support," he said.

Johnson, who recently was named Australian father of the year by The Fathering Project, said he found it particularly difficult to find a community of other dads and would often be the only man in the parent group.

"First and foremost, the resources that are currently in place should be tailored initially to mums, but there needs to be more support for dads, who sometimes don't know where to turn."

He said some friends had suffered in silence with postnatal depression, not knowing it was something that could also affect men.

"It is easy for dads to fall to the wayside."

That could be addressed under one proposal to be canvassed by a parliamentary inquiry, which would see fathers screened for perinatal distress or depression alongside their partners and receive follow up support if needed.

The federal government has established a Senate committee examining postpartum healthcare in Australia, looking at a range of issues such as mental health, infant feeding, fertility and birth injury.

Many pregnant women are routinely offered mental health screening as part of their care, which helps identify those who may need more support.

But Nicole Highet, executive director of the Centre of Perinatal Excellence (COPE), said only about two per cent of men were also being screened.

"We know that the rates of mental health and distress and stressors that fathers face is growing with different pressures, those with mental health backgrounds, those with past trauma or abuse," she said.

"These factors make some dads particularly vulnerable."

COPE's submission to the inquiry will call for more Commonwealth funding to expand screening and follow-up support to more fathers.

Currently men do not always attend perinatal appointments, and follow-up care is difficult to arrange because they are not considered patients.

Dr Highet said if men could be screened at the same time as their partner, health professionals or support services could then review the results and follow-up with anyone identified as needing additional help.

She also called for governments and organisations to "think outside the box" by screening dads in workplaces or fathers groups.

"We have the technology available right here and right now to screen fathers but the way that we're doing it in these systems where fathers are not frequenting is preventing them from being offered screening," she said.

Even for mothers, the Commonwealth-funded screening program is currently restricted to public hospitals and family health settings, and Dr Highet said it should be expanded to include everybody.

'Imagine the difference'

While there is less research on paternal perinatal mental health compared to maternal data, it is estimated up to one in 10 dads experience postnatal depression or anxiety.

Assistant Social Services Minister Ged Kearney said while she did not want to pre-empt the outcomes of the Senate inquiry, she was looking forward to hearing more about COPE's proposal.

"If we really do care about good outcomes for women and their bubs, then we have to engage dads," she said.

While the inquiry will centre around women's experiences, Ms Kearney said research indicated when fathers were engaged and supported, mothers experienced better maternal and mental health outcomes.

Research also suggests women are at a greater risk of experiencing violence from an intimate partner during pregnancy and postpartum.

"If we can intervene early and make sure that things like that are picked up and sorted, then imagine the difference that could make for a family unit," she said.

Ms Kearney called for dads, experts and advocates to share their experiences with the inquiry.

"They will engage if we give them the resources and the services to help them. So let's talk to dads about what that would look like."