Fathers with mental illness: implications for clinicians and health services

Abstract

Summary A significant proportion of fathers living with their natural, adopted, step or foster children experience mental illness. Psychiatric illness among fathers can have a devastating impact on children's wellbeing, and even milder forms of paternal mental illness can have serious developmental effects on children. While several pathways linking paternal mental illness with poor child outcomes have been identified, fathers’ impaired parenting is an important, potentially malleable factor. Clinicians can assist fathers with mental illness and their families by proactively inquiring about children and by exploring fathering‐focused psychological support.

Family matters: infants, toddlers and preschoolers of parents affected by mental illness

“…Two treatments for maternal depression that may improve infant outcomes are described in Box 1. Identifying paternal mental health problems is an important first step towards appropriate interventions 28 …”

Male callers to an Australian perinatal depression and anxiety help line—Understanding issues and concerns

“…Infants of fathers reporting symptoms of postnatal depression are three times more likely to exhibit behaviour problems as pre-schoolers (Fletcher, Freeman, Garfield, & Vimpani, 2011) and twice as likely to receive a psychiatric diagnosis by 7 years of age (Ramchandani & Psychogiou, 2009). Children of fathers diagnosed with severe mental illness are at risk of physical and mental harm (Fletcher et al, 2013).…”

Longitudinal associations between fathers' mental health and the quality of their coparenting relationships

“…Researchers and health professionals alike have traditionally paid little heed to the relationship between mental illness and fatherhood (Apfel & Handel, ; Fletcher et al, ; Reupert & Maybery, ). Recently, however, this has been changing.…”