DrLauren Francis

Lauren Francis researches men's mental health across the transition to fatherhood, with a focus on how men recognise and respond to psychological distress, engage with support, and how these experiences shape outcomes for fathers, children and families.

Her research spans three interconnected areas. The first is men's help-seeking, including how men recognise and respond to psychological distress and the factors that encourage or prevent engagement with support services. The second is paternal mental health across the preconception and perinatal periods, with a particular focus on identifying the early-life, socioeconomic and health-related factors that predict men's mental health following the birth of a child. The third is father involvement and family relationships, examining how fathers' wellbeing and involvement influence child development and how these patterns are transmitted across generations.

Lauren's research draws on major Australian longitudinal studies, including the Men and Parenting Pathways Study (MAPP), The Longitudinal Study of Male Health (Ten to Men), the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey, and the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC). She combines evidence across cohorts using advanced longitudinal methods to better understand how men's experiences unfold over time. Her work aims to inform health systems and services that identify and support fathers early, before distress escalates into crisis.

Lauren has published 21 peer-reviewed journal articles, attracting more than 700 citations and an h-index of 16 (Google Scholar). She also co-authored two chapters of Men's and Boys' Barriers to Health System Access, a review commissioned by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care to inform the National Men's Health Strategy 2020-2030.