The mental health of fathers and partners can be overlooked during the transition to parenthood, yet depression and anxiety are twice as common among expecting and new fathers as global estimates for men. Through her research at the Centre for Health Services Studies (CHSS), Dr Sharin Baldwin is building evidence to better support fathers’ mental health and inform national research on family health and wellbeing.
An Honorary Research Fellow in CHSS and Senior Health Visiting Research Lead at the Institute of Health Visiting (iHV), Dr Baldwin is one of the UK’s leading researchers in paternal mental health. Through an NIHR Training Support Award hosted by CHSS, she conducted a mixed-methods systematic review of community-based interventions to promote paternal mental wellbeing and prevent poor mental health during the perinatal period, which brought together international evidence on approaches to supporting fathers during the transition to parenthood.
Alongside her work at CHSS, Dr Baldwin’s wider programme of research focuses on fathers’ mental health and wellbeing during the perinatal period. Her PhD research, The New Dad Study, explored first-time fathers’ experiences of mental health and wellbeing during pregnancy and early parenthood. Findings from this study informed ‘Invisible’, a short film co-produced with fathers and partners to raise awareness of paternal mental health and encourage professionals to better recognise and respond to fathers’ needs.
“At least one in ten men experience mental health problems during the perinatal period, yet fathers’ needs are often overlooked. Invisible follows a new dad named Luke, whose story is based on my research findings and extensive interviews with a diverse range of fathers. It’s designed to be a thought-provoking portrayal of why fathers’ mental health matters, which we hope will spark conversations that encourage professionals to recognise, understand and respond more effectively to fathers’ mental health needs.”
The film, produced by the iHV in collaboration with Chris Godwin of Inner Eye Productions, was recently named Winner of the Public Health Nursing Award at the Nursing Times Awards 2026.
Reflecting on the award, Dr Baldwin said:
“The award reflects the dedication of the entire iHV team and the many fathers, families, practitioners, researchers and partner organisations who have contributed to this important work. It reinforces the need for continued action to ensure that fathers’ mental health is recognised as an integral part of family health and wellbeing.”
As an honorary member of the CHSS team at Kent, Dr Baldwin is part of a growing cohort of practitioner-researchers; health and social care professionals who have transitioned from frontline practice into research careers. A trained nurse, midwife and health visitor, she has over 28 years’ NHS experience including senior leadership, professional development and clinical academic roles.
Dr Baldwin said:
“CHSS has played a pivotal role in my development as a clinical academic researcher. The mentorship, encouragement and opportunities I received through the Centre, particularly from Professor Sally Kendall and colleagues, enabled me to build on my doctoral research and secure NIHR funding. The support provided by CHSS has helped me develop an independent programme of research that is influencing policy, practice and education, while maintaining a strong focus on improving outcomes for parents and families.”
Building on her previous work in CHSS, Dr Baldwin is now Chief Investigator for a further NIHR-funded national study, jointly hosted by the University of Kent and the Institute of Health Visiting, evaluating the Maternal Early Childhood Sustained Home-visiting (MECSH) programme for parents in England, particularly how it addresses issues of equity in access, engagement, retention, and outcomes for Black and Asian minority ethnic parents.