Fathers of people with intellectual disability: A review of the literature

Davys, Deborah; Mitchell, Duncan; Martin, Ralph P.

doi:10.1177/1744629516650129

Cited by 50 publications

(53 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…This emotional downturn is also consistent with Davys et al. () systematic literature review in which fathers of children with intellectual disabilities reported high levels of emotional intensity, shock, fear and stress at the time of diagnosis of a child’s intellectual disability. Findings from the current study further provide support that fathers prepare for and anticipate the birth of a nondisabled child irrespective of whether it is a first or subsequent child.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

“…This Irish study extends the knowledge of fathers’ experiences within the context of leading up to the diagnosis and the actual diagnosis of a child’s intellectual disability. Regardless of the timing of the diagnosis, all fathers experienced an emotional downturn, a view supported throughout the literature (Bourke et al., ; Davys et al., ; Huang et al., ; Takataya et al., ; Waite‐Jones & Madill, ). While fathers are affected by the diagnosis of a child’s intellectual disability, healthcare professionals must recognise and respond to their distinct and individual needs at this critical diagnostic period.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 68%

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“Something was wrong”: A narrative inquiry of becoming a father of a child with an intellectual disability in Ireland

Marsh

Warren

Savage

2018

Brit J Learn Disabil

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Accessible summary Ten fathers were asked to tell their story of being told that their child was diagnosed with an intellectual disability. They said that initially they were shocked, disappointed, in denial and blamed themselves when the diagnosis was certain. All fathers remembered when they were told and by whom they were told about their child’s diagnosis. Becoming a father was a reason to be happy. Abstract BackgroundIn recent years, there has been a growth of research on men’s experiences of becoming fathers, most of which relates to a typically developing child without intellectual disabilities. While some studies have specifically explored the experiences of becoming a father of a child with an intellectual disability, there are few studies from an Irish context. AimThe aim of this study was to present Irish fathers’ narratives within the context of leading up to the diagnosis and the actual diagnosis of a child’s intellectual disability. MethodA qualitative narrative inquiry design was used with ten fathers aged 31–48 years through semi‐structured interviews. ResultsThis study is part of a larger study focusing on becoming a father of a child with an intellectual disability in Ireland. The findings related to finding out “something was wrong” with the child are presented. ConclusionFathers are emotionally affected by the diagnosis of a child’s intellectual disability. Therefore, healthcare professionals need to be cognisant of the emotional upheaval that such a diagnosis can have on fathers and be sensitive to their needs in supporting them through this process.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 68%

“Something was wrong”: A narrative inquiry of becoming a father of a child with an intellectual disability in Ireland

Marsh

Warren

Savage

2018

Brit J Learn Disabil

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“…The present study had a number of novel features. Fathers as well as mothers were recruited, and the scarcity of information about fathers is globally recognized [17]. Our findings suggest that Iranian fathers report similar patterns of satisfaction and stress as mothers do, which is contrary to some studies in Western countries [18] but confirms the findings from previous studies undertaken in Iran [14].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 60%

Parental Satisfaction with Caregiving across the Life Span to Their Children with Developmental Disabilities: A Cross-Sectional Study in Iran

Samadi

McConkey

Boghrabadi

2020

IJERPH

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The increased life expectancy of adult individuals with developmental disabilities and the likelihood of parents having to continue caregiving into their old age is an emerging international issue which deserves investigation, especially concerning satisfaction with caregiving. Moreover, this needs to be assessed in different cultures in order to create a better understanding of how families are best supported in their lifelong caregiving. A sample of 408 parents was gathered in six cities across Iran with a son or daughter who had a confirmed developmental disability. Self-completed measures of satisfaction and stress were obtained along with demographic details of the child and family. Satisfaction with caring was generally positive and was similar for mothers and fathers, for older as well as for younger parents; and between different types of developmental disabilities. However, both personal and child satisfaction decreased when parents reported increased stress and when caring for teenage and adult offspring and those with behavior problems. Parents need to receive support to sustain their motivation and satisfaction with caregiving if their quality of life and that of their children with disabilities is to be maintained and enhanced across their lifespan.

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“…Achieving a balance between work and family life may be more difficult when raising a child with ID due to additional caring responsibilities. There is evidence to suggest that raising a child with ID can have an impact upon work but also that work can impact upon a father's ability to care for their child (Davys et al, ). Couples tend to become more differentiated in their work and family roles when they become parents, with men more likely to be the main breadwinner (Katz‐Wise et al, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychological well‐being of fathers with and without a child with intellectual disability: a population‐based study.

Langley

Totsika

Hastings

2019

J intellect Disabil Res

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Background Few studies have explored the wellbeing of fathers of children with intellectual disability (ID), despite the significant role that they play in their children's lives. The current study compared fathers of children with and without a child with ID on measures of psychological well-being (life satisfaction, work-family balance and general health) and dimensions of parenting (parenting self-efficacy and parent-child closeness) and then examined whether the presence of a child with ID in the family was a significant predictor of paternal well-being when controlling for a number of father (age, education, employment and residency), child (ID status, gender, behavioural and emotional problems) and family (income poverty and number of children in the household) variables. Methods Data were drawn from the third wave of the Millennium Cohort Study, a UK population-representative and cohort study, where the cohort child was 5 years of age; 256 fathers were identified as having a child with ID, with data available for 10 187 fathers without a child with ID. Fathers were compared on the four well-being and parenting outcomes and then multiple regression models were conducted to explore associations between these outcomes and variables identified as potential correlates of well-being. Results Initial group comparisons showed that there were differences in the well-being of fathers, with fathers of children with ID reporting poorer life satisfaction and general health. However, these differences were small. Regression analyses showed that child behavioural and emotional problems, living in income poverty and paternal employment were more important than disability status in predicting fathers' well-being. Conclusions These works add to the limited amount of research on fathers using population-representative data. The current findings are consistent with rejecting a general simplistic and negative narrative that raising a child with ID puts fathers at risk of poorer outcomes. However, some fathers, such as those with children with behavioural problems and living in poverty, may require greater support. Future longitudinal research that explores the impact of paternal well-being on the long-term outcomes of children with and without ID is warranted. • Psychological well-being of fathers ID, intellectual disability; SD, standard deviation; SE, standard error *P < 0.05.

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Fathers of people with intellectual disability: A review of the literature

Cited by 50 publications

References 40 publications

“Something was wrong”: A narrative inquiry of becoming a father of a child with an intellectual disability in Ireland

“Something was wrong”: A narrative inquiry of becoming a father of a child with an intellectual disability in Ireland

Parental Satisfaction with Caregiving across the Life Span to Their Children with Developmental Disabilities: A Cross-Sectional Study in Iran

Psychological well‐being of fathers with and without a child with intellectual disability: a population‐based study.

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