EastEnders to air postnatal depression plot for Stuart Highway
The new father has been struggling to bond with his baby son.
BBC soap EastEnders is set to explore postnatal depression in fatherhood in an upcoming new storyline for Stuart Highway (played by Ricky Champ).
Stuart has been seen battling breast cancer in recent scenes, as his operation and treatment has coincided with he and wife Rainie (Tanya Franks) becoming parents to baby Roland thanks to surrogate Bernie Taylor (Clair Norris).
As Stuart recuperated from surgery and attempted to avoid using pain relief due to his past addiction, he began to make excuses to avoid holding Roland. So far, viewers may have been under the impression that this is down to the character's ongoing illness; but the soap has now revealed there is much more to Stuart's behaviour than that.
We'll see Stuart struggling to connect with the baby, and he will eventually question whether he loves his son.
EastEnders is working closely with the charities PANDAS and Mind to ensure that this mental health storyline is portrayed as sensitively and accurately as possible.
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Annie Belasco, Head of the Charity PANDAS, had this to say about the storyline. “PANDAS Foundation were delighted to hear that EastEnders intended to produce a storyline highlighting postnatal depression in men. We enjoyed advising the team around the postnatal depression aspect of Stuart's journey which we feel will be relatable to many fathers struggling to bond with their baby.
Postnatal depression in fathers is still a much undiscovered and stigmatised area," Belasco adds. "Which is why it is so imperative that awareness is shared in no doubt that men who may be feeling unwell with symptoms of postnatal depression can seek the support that they need at an early interventional stage. A full recovery of any low level perinatal mental illness, with the right support is possible.”
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Alex Bushill, Head of Media & PR at Mind, also spoke about the soap's decision to cover male postnatal depression. “When people see mental health problems portrayed sensitively on screen, it raises awareness and encourages people to seek support for their mental health. So, it’s great to see EastEnders dedicating airtime to exploring such an important issue.
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"I hope this story helps highlight how depression can impact new dads and encourage dads to seek help if they need it. Whatever you’re going through, you’re not alone. And you deserve respect and support.”
Viewers can expect to see Stuart's difficult new journey unfold in the coming weeks.
The PANDAS Foundation supports parents and carers who may be struggling with their mental health. They have many free services, including a helpline, text and email support services as well as online and in person groups. For more information, please head to https://pandasfoundation.org.uk/.
You can also visit Mind, which supports those struggling with their mental health, by visiting https://www.mind.org.uk/.
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