Preterm birth and paternal mental health during the perinatal period: A Systematic review protocol

IntroductionDespite the evidence that fatherhood has a long-term positive and protective effect on mens health, there is also evidence that fatherhood in the perinatal period can be complex and demanding. The challenging nature of fatherhood during the perinatal period can be further compounded by the experience of preterm birth. Preterm birth, defined as a birth occurring before 37 weeks of gestation, has been identified as a risk factor for maternal stress, anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress. It can be hypothesised that preterm birth is also a risk factor for fathers mental health; however, as no attempt has been made to systematically review studies that have examined preterm births and fathers mental health during the perinatal period it is currently not known how common or signficant the impact of a preterm birth is on fathers mental health during this life stage. AimThe aim of the systematic review will be to critically appraise the empirical evidence that examined preterm birth and fathers mental health during the perinatal period. DesignSystematic review MethodsThe review will be guided by the PRISMA reporting process. Electronic databases Medline, CINAHL, the Cochrane Library, PsycARTICLES, PsycINFO, Psychology and Behavioural Sciences Collections will be searched to identify studies that meet the inclusion criteria. Studies that researched preterm birth during the perinatal period will be included if fathers mental health was the principal focus of the research, if fathers mental health was in the title and/or aim of the study or if fathers mental health was an outcome or dependent variable. Data will be extracted and presented in narrative form including tables and figures. Trial registrationTrial registration: the protocol for this systematic review has been registered in PROSPERO [CRD42024536317]. https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=536317