W05 Assignment_ Fathering Social Issues
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Brigham Young University, Idaho *
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460
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Medicine
Date
Jan 9, 2024
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docx
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Uploaded by DoctorKangarooPerson5169
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Understanding the Contribution of Fatherlessness to Mental Illness
Casey Pryor
Department of Home and Family, Brigham Young University - Idaho
FAML 460: Child and Family Advocacy Sister Tuft
October 14, 2023
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Understanding the Contribution of Fatherlessness to Mental Illness
I believe fatherlessness is contributing to the increase in mental illness through multiple ways. The lack of a second parent in the home creates additional stress on the solo parent, which then translates to the children. There is also less income for the household when only one parent is present, which can create hardships and food insecurity. Many activities during youth are primarily accessible to two parent households, since things such as, sports, after-school clubs, etc., all require extra time. Having a father in the home would allow for this extra time needed to be more attainable, rather than only the mother trying to fit everything into her schedule. There’s the common phrase “needing to be at two places at once” that comes to mind in these instances. In regard to fatherlessness contributing to the overall stress levels of the mothers and children, it’s easy to see a ripple effect leading to mental illness. For example, if a mother is trying to juggle her own work schedule, school schedules for the children, grocery shopping, doctor’s appointments, cleaning around the home, etc., she is going to consistently feel overwhelmed. In this overwhelmed state, she will be less patient and caring towards her children.
She may even have an angry or snappy tone in her voice when speaking to them, simply because she is so stressed. Over time, her children will come to expect this and will develop anxieties associated with their mother arriving home, or chores not getting done, as they know it will result
in their mother getting upset with them. These anxieties at home can also transition into their school life if their teachers demonstrate similar behavior, or if the children are not able to complete homework on time due to the anxiety they are facing. The long-term effects of this can be impactful in their overall education, adult relationships, and future career paths. “Using data from the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect (N = 499 preadolescents aged 12 years), researchers found that higher quality of father involvement—level of closeness, caring,
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trust, understanding, getting along, and shared decision making as reported by youth—was associated with lower levels of internalizing and externalizing child behavior problems, such as anxiety, depression, or aggression” (Yoon et al., 2018) Improving Fatherhood
I think improving resources as a whole, and not just for single parents, could benefit this issue greatly. Many men struggle with feelings of self-doubt, inadequacy, financial stress, etc. Unfortunately, it is still common in our society for the full weight of the family resources to fall on the father’s shoulders. Men are taught from a young age that they have to be the provider, without any support, because receiving support (emotional and financial) is viewed as “weak.” I believe anyone facing these stressors and not being able to communicate these feelings clearly will eventually become so overwhelmed, they eventually leave the situation causing it. If there was less stigma around men receiving support, then maybe more fathers would be willing to ask for help before it gets to the point where they leave altogether. Having community resources that can aid fathers and mothers both, would help reduce the stigma, provide help when needed, connect families in similar situations, and encourage both parents to continue moving forward with hope.
Reducing Fatherlessness
The two areas I believe could help repair the fatherlessness issue are entertainment and the counseling profession. While these may not seem related, I view it as a two-step reparative approach. Step one, entertainment, would show more father characters in television and film being open about their emotions, willing to ask for and accept help when they are struggling with
their own mental health, and not taking the “easy way out” by giving up and leaving the family when they become overwhelmed. The entertainment industry is a huge part of our society,
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whether we like it or not. The characters’ behaviors in our favorite shows can be influential in our own lives, and even more so when we feel as though we see ourselves in that character. By creating and showing characters that model the positive behaviors and outcomes we wish to see for fathers, more men may be willing to take steps other than leaving the home. Step two in this reparative approach, counseling, would be a resource to those men willing to take other steps. Counselors can provide a safe setting of support and understanding that these fathers may not have elsewhere. It would allow their feelings to be heard by a non-biased third party, who can challenge their existing behaviors and determine what the best solutions would be. Counselors would also be able to provide resources such as support groups, reading materials, breathing exercises, techniques to reduce stress, etc. I believe that with this two-step reparative approach, fatherlessness would be less common, and overall mental health of the parents and the children would improve.
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References
Yoon, S., Bellamy, J.L., Kim, W., & Yoon, D. (2018). Father Involvement and Behavior Problems among Preadolescents at Risk of Maltreatment. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 27, 494-504.