Depression experienced by new dads may finally be taken seriously with guidelines for screening, father-specific treatment and a way to reach dads in the pipeline.
A year ago, as we emerged from the 2020 COVID lockdowns Deputy Chief Medical Officer Michael Kidd made a point of acknowledging fathers in his COVID-19 update.
Striking a sombre note he advised "if you're lucky enough to still have your father, or your grandfathers, or perhaps even your great grandfathers in your life please reach out to them and let them know how special they are to you."
But this time around we might see the start of a more important acknowledgement, that the almost one-in-10 new fathers with depression before or after the birth fundamentally challenges the popular idea that depression is just for mums.
One reason that we take mothers' depression seriously is that their infants may be affected.
Dads' moods can also have an impact.
Research with 5000 Australian families showed that if the father has signs of depression the children will be twice as likely to have behavioural, social, and emotional problems by the time they reach school.
The build-up for the arrival of the new baby can be a huge pressure on men, which is often made worse by the idea that dads need to hold it all together.
When beyondblue surveyed more than 1500 expectant and new fathers, 77 per cent said they had no choice but to "suck it up and get on with it".
As one new dad put it "Blokes are obligated to be the strong one, be the man.
"Not only take care of the baby but your partner as well.
Research with 5000 Australian families showed that if the father has signs of depression the children will be twice as likely to have behavioural, social, and emotional problems by the time they reach school.
"You have to be 'the rock' and take care of everything".
Oddly enough, the pandemic seems to have brought more dads to seek help.
Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia's (PANDA) national perinatal mental health helpline for new parents reports a 70 per cent increase in calls from men with, or expecting, a new baby over the past 12 months.
These dads are often reaching out with their partner in mind but also for their own mood issues.
Mums also struggle to put their hand up and say that they aren't coping.
That's why we have had national guidelines for clinicians to help pick up mums who might need treatment.
Now checking dads for depression is also on the agenda.
In a world first, recommendations on screening new fathers for depression and anxiety are being added to the national mental health guidelines.
The next step after finding a dad or a mum who is not coping is to refer them for support.
While there are many programs designed for expectant and new mothers, until now, there has not been any father-specific treatment programs.
That will change.
The first specialised online treatment program for dads is expecting to start enrolling dads next year.
These pieces of the puzzle are all important but will do no good if we cannot reach men as they become dads and then face the challenges of the birth, supporting the mother and bonding with the new baby.
The text-based program SMS4dads (sms4dads.com), developed at the University of Newcastle, is set to fill this gap.
The program delivers three texts a week to dads' mobile phones with tips and links to online info and support.
Every three weeks a Mood Checker text asks dads how they are coping. If they tick the box flagging concerns they can receive a phone call from PANDA to sort out help.
So far almost 8000 dads have enrolled, and the feedback is very positive.
Now, with federal funding, SMS4dads is going national with extra resources for targeting dads living in rural areas.
From November, dads anywhere in Australia can register.
Of course, getting dads to opt in will still be a challenge.
But the attraction of SMS4dads is that the tips and info are for all dads, not just those doing it tough.
As one dad put it "it's like a mate tapping you on the shoulder . . . "
