Research on new fatherhood support to be shared at Melbourne forum
The findings from a trial exploring how new fathers respond to face-to-face support will be presented at a forum hosted by the Deakin School of Psychology in Melbourne on March 20, 2025.
The Working Out Dads project, conducted by the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, examined different approaches to supporting men’s health and well-being during early fatherhood.
Fathers with children aged 0-4 years were invited to participate, with the goal of improving the support available to them. The trial compared two forms of support: Working Out Dads and Talking About Being a Dad.
- Working Out Dads brought groups of 8-10 fathers together for six weeks of face-to-face sessions. Each session combined a 60-minute discussion on fatherhood, family life, and stress management with a 30-minute group workout led by a personal trainer.
- Talking About Being a Dad offered fathers a 30-minute phone conversation with a health professional from Tweddle Child and Family Health Service. These discussions covered fatherhood experiences, personal well-being, and available support resources - similar to the care typically offered by child and family health services.
At the March forum, Tweddle Child & Family Health Service will discuss the Working Out Dads program and its longstanding commitment to supporting fathers' mental health. Facilitators will share their experiences working with fathers in the program, while a panel of dads will reflect on their own experiences with mental health support in early parenting, including their participation in Working Out Dads.
The research team will also present key findings from the Working Out Dads randomised controlled trial, followed by a discussion on the trial’s implications for policymakers and the healthcare sector.