26 June 2025
Dr Rebecca Owens, Head of School of Psychology at the University speaks to presenter Tre Lowe about the biopsychological impacts of becoming an older parent
Dr Rebecca Owens, Head of School of Psychology at the University of Sunderland, was featured on BBC One’s Morning Live where she discussed the biopsychological impact of becoming a dad later in life.
Speaking to presenter Tre Lowe, Dr Owens, an evolutionary psychologist who specialises in male psychology, explored the links between biological changes men go through as they age and the psychological impact of becoming an older parent.
Dr Owens said: “Across a man's life cycle, we typically see testosterone increase at puberty and it decreases more gradually from the age of around 40 - and that is before we consider the impact of becoming a partner and a dad, which we know also causes testosterone to decrease.
“Sometimes testosterone can drop too low, and this can contribute to things like depression in men. Depression may contribute to loneliness in men if they maybe don't want to go out and engage with others, but I think there is an increased risk of loneliness for older parents generally.
“It’s important to consider biopsychosocial changes not just for mams, and not just for dads, because these impacts individually affect the other parent and the child, so it is important to consider all angles for the family unit.”
You can watch Dr Owen’s on BBC One’s Morning Live here.