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New studies suggest that having a sense of purpose makes dads healthier, happier, and stronger in the face of challenges we're all facing.

This episode of NPR’s All Things Considered looks at how many men are being forced to confront new realities at home since the pandemic. It includes anecdotal stories of dads stepping up domestically and describes census data that also suggests a larger number of men are spending more time at home.

There is a lack of support directed towards the mental health of fathers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This study aimed to gain insight into the unique mental health support needs of fathers of children with ASD, along with potential barriers and facilitators to accessing support. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with four fathers of children (aged 8–9 years) with ASD. The support needs of fathers included: social support; practical support; respite; financial support; professional support; and self-care and time to self. Guided by a bioecological framework,…

Social expectations of the father’s role in the family have changed considerably in the past four decades. The purpose of this study was to examine the various factors that influence both father role salience and father involvement with their preschool age children based upon a model set forth by Doherty, Kouneski, & Erickson (1998). Data was collected from seventy-four fathers regarding factors that affected their involvement level with their children. Five primary variables were assessed: Father Role Salience, Father Employment, Mother Employment, Encouragement from Partner, and…

Fathers are important to infant outcomes. Infants of involved fathers have improved weight gain, sleep, and psychosocial behaviors. Father involvement with neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) infants reduces the length of stay. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe involvement, confidence, and beliefs of fathers of infants who were hospitalized in the NICU and discharged home in order to begin to investigate NICU father involvement from a longitudinal perspective. This exploratory qualitative study was conducted 4 to 5 years after the initial NICU stay using telephone…

In early 2019, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released a policy statement recognizing that “maternal depression affects the whole family” and urging pediatric providers to “incorporate recognition and management of perinatal depression into pediatric practice.” Soon after, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force issued new recommendations on interventions to prevent perinatal depression. The convergence of these 2 statements from nationally recognized bodies of experts in evidence-based medicine underscores the urgency of a heightened focus on screening and making referrals for…

Much research explores the consequences of parenthood for women, but less is known about the health outcomes and trajectories of men who become fathers. This study examines the impact of fatherhood on diverse health behaviors and outcomes among a representative sample of Millennial men in the United States. The results indicate that the transition to fatherhood induces changes in health outcomes and behaviors that are both positive and negative. The study indicates that becoming a father induces weight gain and a decline in self‐reported health but reduces alcohol consumption. Effects on…

Kinship care refers to familial arrangements where the primary caregiver(s) are biological relatives, godparents, or other fictive kin with strong bonds, raising children when the biological parents are unable. The majority of children living in a home with neither of their biological parents’ present are living in kinship care arrangements. Previous research has primarily focused on maternal involvement and experiences in kinship care; however, little is known about paternal access, engagement, and responsibility in these arrangements. Researchers and practitioners have identified factors…

Foster fathers, who care for and have a unique opportunity to positively influence the at‐risk children who are placed in their home, may struggle to establish a salient foster father identity due to a lack of societal clarity about their role and conflicting views about their importance within the child welfare system. However, we lack theoretical and empirical knowledge on foster fathering. Thus, a nuanced conceptual understanding of the factors and processes that influence the development of foster father identity, which influences the health and involvement of the father–child…

The overall objective of this paper was to systematically review and synthesize the emerging literature investigating the role of father involvement in pediatric outcomes among chronic illness populations. This review sought to answer the following questions: (1) what measures are used to assess father involvement in pediatric chronic illness populations, and who is the respondent, and (2) how is father involvement associated with child psychosocial and health related outcomes in pediatric chronic illness populations? Most findings indicate that better outcomes are associated with more…