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Background: Fathers' contributions to child development are widely recognized, yet perinatal mental health research and care remain focused on mothers. Despite evidence of paternal emotional and mental health concerns, fathers' help-seeking behaviors are understudied. This scoping review applies the information-processing model of help-seeking to map literature on factors influencing the help-seeking process among fathers in the perinatal period in relation to emotional and mental health concerns, and the associated barriers and facilitators. Methods: Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, six databases were searched for studies published up to June 2025. Eligible studies examined fathers' help-seeking behaviors in the perinatal period (from conception up to 12 months after giving birth), perceived barriers and facilitators, and experiences with perinatal services. A total of 47 studies were included and assessed for methodological quality. Findings: Findings reveal diverse barriers and facilitators at individual, socio-cultural, and practical levels, influencing all help-seeking stages: encoding, generating options, decision-making, and evaluation; key barriers include fathers' individual factors, views on fatherhood and masculinity, and healthcare-related barriers, while digital resources emerged as a facilitator throughout the models' stages. Interpretation: Results underscore the need for a more integrated, father-inclusive approach to perinatal mental health care. Evidence-based recommendations for clinical practice and policy were highlighted. Funding: This study received no funding.
Mancinelli et al. (Wed,) studied this question.