World First Research to Expose Hidden Crisis of Suicide Amongst New Dads
10 SEPTEMBER 2025
Groundbreaking research by Swansea University, commissioned by the newly launched 1001 Critical Days Foundation, has revealed that 2-3 babies lose their dads to suicide every week across the UK.
Coinciding with World Suicide Prevention Day (10 September), this world-first study, which uses data based on findings in Wales, highlights an overlooked crisis in paternal mental health, one with devastating consequences for babies and the wider family.
The research not only reveals a truly devastating situation for each of the families impacted by loss due to paternal suicide but also highlights how the costs could be better spent on prevention. The total socio-economic cost across the UK is approximately £217m every year.
Dads are currently excluded from specialist perinatal mental health services, which are only available to mums. Over the past 22 years, the data from Wales reveals that seven times as many dads have died by suicide as mums during the 1001 critical days. This inequality is preventable but requires specialist perinatal mental health services to be available to dads as well as mums.
Commenting on the findings, the Rt Hon Dame Andrea Leadsom said:
“This research is a wake-up call to governments worldwide. Across the UK, two babies lose their dads to suicide every week in the first 1001 days of life. The risk is even higher for first-time fathers and rates are double in the most deprived areas.
"Fathers are excluded from specialist perinatal mental health services yet, we know from this data in Wales that over the past 22 years, seven times as many dads as mums have died by suicide in this period. That inequality is preventable. By supporting the mental health of dads, we can save lives, reduce inequality and give every baby the best start in life.”
Against this backdrop, Dame Andrea will officially launch the 1001 Critical Days Foundation on 10 September. The ambitious mission of this new charity is for every baby, right across the world, to experience the best start in life. It is widely known that supporting dads is not only good for babies but also good for families as the ripple effect of suicide is tragically far-reaching.
Up to 13% of all dads are thought to experience depression during pregnancy and early parenthood, yet the only nation within the UK that records the age of children at the time of paternal suicide is Wales, unlike maternal mortality which is recorded nationally. The research is clear: dads play a unique and important role in nurturing their baby's development. This is why the 1001 Critical Days Foundation has chosen to award a £1m grant to Home-Start UK to establish the Dad Matters programme nationally, a service which improves outcomes for babies by strengthening their relationship with their dad.
Speaking at the launch, Dame Andrea will say:
“For almost 30 years, since my first son was born, I have been passionate about giving every baby the best start. The science is stark - the experiences of a baby during the period from pregnancy to age two form the building blocks for their lifelong emotional and physical health. My own experience of postnatal depression showed me how tough those early days can be and how vital it is to support mums, dads and carers.
“Suicide remains the leading cause of maternal death, but paternal suicide isn’t even measured. That has to change. The research we have funded at Swansea University will shine a light on this hidden crisis and help policymakers find the right interventions to save lives. By funding charities including those announced today, along with Home-Start UK, and by campaigning globally, the 1001 Critical Days Foundation will help ensure every baby has the best possible start.”
Lord David Blunkett, Patron of the 1001 Critical Days Foundation, will say:
“When the late Dame Tessa Jowell and I set up Sure Start in the 1990s, the vision was simple but profound: to give children the best possible beginning by supporting families from the very start. That principle is just as vital today. The 1001 Critical Days Foundation builds on that legacy, recognising the overwhelming evidence that the earliest days of life shape everything that follows. I am proud to be Patron of this important new charity, which will help fund frontline services, champion vital research and ensure that babies, mothers and fathers get the support they need. Investing in nurturing from the earliest age and supporting parents to help their child thrive is one of the smartest investments we can make in the future of our society.”
At the event, Mike Sandiford, a dad supported by Dad Matters and Home-Start, will share his own powerful story. Mike will speak openly of his own mental health challenges during the early months of his son’s life and how Dad Matters provided support during his darkest moments.
“I went through some very traumatic experiences when my son was born, which led to some incredibly dark times. Dad Matters helped me understand that what I was going through was normal, but without their support, I might not be here to share my story today, or to see my son getting ready to start school this year.”
The event will be supported by cross-party parliamentarians, including the Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP, Lord David Blunkett as well as academics and practitioners in the early years space.
NOTES TO EDITORS
The 1001 Critical Days Foundation
The 1001 Critical Days Foundation is a new charity founded in 2025 by the Rt Hon Dame Andrea Leadsom. Its mission is to ensure every baby receives the support needed to help them experience the best start in life through the funding of frontline charities, the commissioning of research and through advocating across the world for the 1001 critical days.
The Foundation will operate across three core areas:
Charity Grants
The Foundation will award grants twice a year, in March and October. £2m in initial funding has been announced, including £1m for frontline charities working in Best Start Family Hubs and similar settings. At the launch, the Foundation will announce those charities that have been awarded grants to support babies and their families.
Groundbreaking Global Research
The Foundation commissioned Swansea University to investigate the number of dads who die by suicide during the 1001 critical days. Data on paternal perinatal suicide is not routinelyncollected, and this is the first project of its kind anywhere in the world. The findings highlight an important gap that has a lasting impact for babies and their families.
Global Advocacy
A core objective of the charity is to advocate around the world for the 1001 critical days (pregnancy to age two). From Norway to South Africa, and from the UAE to Brazil, there is a growing recognition of the vital need to invest in the best start, to build a healthier, happier society that ultimately results in stronger economies. Work is already underway with embassies, parliamentarians and partner charities in key target countries, and the foundation has kicked off a 'Global Declaration' of 1001 parliamentarians from across the world, that "We Believe Every Baby Should Experience the Best Start for Life". Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the UK House of Commons, is the First Signature to the declaration.
Research by Swansea University: Rates of Paternal Perinatal Suicide in the 1001 Critical Days
The 1001 Critical Days Foundation commissioned world first research at Swansea University to investigate paternal suicide during the perinatal period. Led by Professor Ann John, Director of the National Centre for Suicide Prevention and Self-Harm Research, the 24-month study used the SAIL databank to analyse national health records, mortality data and mental health service use in order to produce the UK’s first robust estimate of paternal perinatal suicide. Although 8–13% of fathers are thought to experience depression during pregnancy and early parenthood, there is currently no national system to track or categorise paternal suicide, unlike maternal mortality, which is routinely measured. This gap limits both awareness and targeted support. The Swansea project not only establishes baseline rates in Wales but will also inform clinical screening, early intervention and policymaking to better support dads, mums and babies during the critical 1001 days of a baby’s life.
About Home-Start
Home-Start is a national federation of 177 locally led charities operating across the UK. It seeks to improve outcomes for children by providing trusted, compassionate and relational support for families in their homes and local communities. The model is enabled by skilled local staff teams and the high-quality recruitment, training and supervision of volunteers, with Home-Start UK providing nation-wide quality assurance, learning and development policy frameworks and practice support. Last year Home-Start supported 58,850 families and over 75,000 children across the UK meeting the needs of each family’s individual circumstances, including a range of challenges such as perinatal mental health issues, isolation, physical health problems, bereavement, poverty and many other issues.
www.home-start.org.uk
About the Dad Matters programme
Dad Matters is a Home-Start powered service focused specifically on supporting the early relationships between babies and their dads in the early years, using targeted outreach, peer support and partnership working to reach dads who often find themselves excluded. It helps dads to understand their role in early child development, build strong relationships with their baby, improve their mental health and engage confidently with services around them. Originally developed by Home-Start HOST in Manchester in 2017, Dad Matters has supported over 40,000 dads through universal engagement and almost 2,000 dads through one-to-one support, with 77% improving parent-infant relationship knowledge and 86% reporting improved wellbeing. In addition, Dad Matters have delivered training to over 15,000 professionals to build trust, increase referrals and encourage Dad-inclusive practice. Commenting on the new partnership between the 1001 Critical Days Foundation and Home- Start, Sarah McMullen, Director of Network Impact at Home-Start UK, said:
“At Home-Start, we believe that every baby deserves the fullest of opportunities to enjoy a healthy, happy childhood and to experience the nurturing early relationships that lay the foundations for everything that follows. Providing strong support for parents and carers is key to this, and we welcome the 1001 Critical Days Foundation’s firm focus on strengthening frontline community support for the whole family. We are delighted to have launched ourmnew strategic partnership with the Foundation to establish the Dad Matters programme nationally. By supporting dads with their wellbeing and to be actively involved and nurturing caregivers, we enable the strong, loving relationships that are essential for a baby’s healthy development, helping more babies to have the best start in life.”
Dad Matters operates in a growing number of local Home-Starts across the UK. The grant from the 1001 Critical Days Foundation will establish and expand Dad Matters as a national programme, embedding high quality support for dads in family hubs and communities across the UK.
www.dadmatters.org.uk
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