Living overseas can bring added pressures for parents in Armed Forces families, particularly during pregnancy and early parenthood. Separation from wider family networks, cultural differences and frequent moves can all affect emotional wellbeing at a time when support is most needed.
SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, works to address these challenges through its Community Health Team by embedding conversations about mental wellbeing into everyday family support overseas. Rather than treating mental health as a standalone issue, the approach recognises emotional wellbeing as part of routine antenatal, postnatal and early years care.
In some overseas locations, cultural context plays a key role in how mental wellbeing is discussed. In British Forces Brunei, where there is a long-established Gurkha community, SSAFA supports many Nepali families. As there is no direct translation for “depression” in Nepali, discussions focus instead on mood, emotional health, relationships and bonding, allowing parents to talk openly in ways that feel culturally appropriate and accessible.
Support often extends beyond formal appointments. At the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK), SSAFA’s Community Health Team runs informal weekly wellbeing walks for mothers with babies under one year old. The walks give parents a chance to leave the house, connect with others and share experiences, ending with a coffee morning on camp. The emphasis is on simple, everyday activities that encourage connection, movement and peer support.
The charity also works to ensure fathers feel included in conversations about early parenthood and mental wellbeing. Kerry Riley, Public Health and Engagement Manager with SSAFA’s Community Health Team, has used the Institute of Health Visiting’s Invisible film to prompt discussion about the mental health challenges some fathers face, particularly when living overseas. The resource has helped shape everyday practice, including encouraging fathers to attend sessions and take part in discussions around emotional wellbeing.
Riley said the film helps open up conversations that fathers may otherwise feel excluded from, reinforcing that their experiences during early parenthood also matter.
SSAFA’s work shows how support for parental mental wellbeing is often delivered through ordinary moments: routine conversations, shared activities and opportunities to build trust over time. By normalising discussions about emotional health as part of daily family life, the charity helps parents feel supported and understood while living overseas, without having to face those challenges alone.
