Studying and Improving Parental Mental Health and Wellbeing

Sheehan Fisher, PhD, ’12 GME, is an associate professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences in the Division of Psychology and associate dean of for Diversity and Inclusion for The Graduate School at Northwestern.  

His research and clinical interests focus on parental mental health, with an emphasis on father’s mental health during the perinatal period and their impact on the family dynamic and child outcomes. Specifically, his research examines the hormonal and socio-environmental factors that contribute to postpartum depression in fathers and mothers, and his clinical work specializes in behavioral therapies for fathers and couples during the perinatal period.  

Fisher is a member of the Center for Reproductive Science, the Center for Behavior and Health, and the Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Sciences (NUCATS) Institute.  

What are your research interests? 

My research career focuses on the effects of perinatal and subsequent parental mental health on infant/child health outcomes, with a sub-specialization in the emerging field of father mental health. I want to understand the risk factors for depression, anxiety and other perinatal mental health disorders for birthing and non-birthing parents to inform the design of interventions that help to prevent or treat perinatal mental illness.  

What is the ultimate goal of your research? 

My aim is to reconceptualize parental mental health research to integrally involve birthing and non-birthing parents to differentiate parents’ impact on child medical and mental health. Ultimately, the goal of my research plan is to optimize the health and effectiveness of the parental team to positively influence the child health trajectory starting during pregnancy. 

How did you become interested in this area of research?  

During undergrad, I was debating about applying to child or adult clinical psychology graduate programs. I was conflicted because I wanted to prevent or provide early intervention for mental illness in children at an early stage and I also wanted to support adults suffering from mental illness. Perinatal mental health provided an opportunity to both support the mental health of adults during a major life transition while also reducing the risk of children developing mental illness. As a man who wanted to become a parent one day, I wanted to understand the experience of mothers and fathers to support both parents’ wellbeing. 

What types of collaborations are you engaged in across campus (and beyond)?  

Perinatal mental health is an interdisciplinary field, so I have collaborated with psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, obstetricians, pediatricians, anthropologists and qualitative and quantitative statisticians across the Chicago and Evanston campuses of Northwestern. I also collaborate with perinatal specialists nationally and internationally, along with public health departments, activists, advocacy groups, documentarists and influencers. 

How is your research funded? 

I currently have a National Institute of Mental Health funded R34 randomized controlled trial to prevent postpartum depression in women with high ACE (adverse childhood events) scores and a National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities funded R21 randomized controlled trial that trains fathers to support and improve the mental health of African American mothers with depression. I recently received a Friends of Prentice grant to support women with severe nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. 

Who inspires you? Or who are your mentors? 

Katherine Wisner, MD, is my mentor at the Asher Center. She is a world-renowned perinatal psychiatrist and investigator who is a pioneer in the perinatal mental health field. She takes mentorship very seriously and has been essential in my career development and that of countless other psychiatrists, psychologists, trainees and members of our research team. She also recruited a diverse team of investigators and staff that is exemplary for DEI in the workplace and for creating a highly productive and safe community. I know that excellent mentorship is valuable and rare, so I am very fortunate. I aim to mirror the generous and dedicated mentorship style that she modeled, so that others have the opportunity to reach their academic potential.