Experiences Of Fathers Research Articles

The experience of qualitative research with young fathers: considerations of gender, class and reflexive practice

Qualitative research into the lives and experiences of young fathers has seen some increased interest in recent years, yet comprehensive understandings of the ‘doing’ of such research remain absent from the literature. The small existing literature positions young men who are fathers as potentially difficult to research, in terms of access and encounters. This article draws on experiences and reflections from two UK-based research projects with young men who are fathers to explore the practice of qualitative work with this particular group of participants. Beyond the choice of methodology, there appear to be several elements pertaining to the practice of researching the lives of young men who are fathers that may require consideration. Through discussion of gender, class, context, authenticity and rapport, the article argues that researching young men is not inherently problematic but is a practice which requires consideration and substantial reflexion in order to produce fruitful research encounters for both parties. This article therefore seeks to add nuance and insight into the experience of researching with young men who are fathers, and in doing so, adds sophistication to our limited understandings of qualitative encounters with this group.

“Es un regalo de Dios la verdad”: Hispanic Fathers Lived Experiences of Child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder

ABSTRACT Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has a profound impact on families throughout the United States (U.S.). These impacts resonated within Hispanic families, a rapidly growing demographic. This phenological study explored the lived experiences of Hispanic fathers of children with ASD, resulting in implications for social work education. The objective of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to explore lived experiences of Hispanic fathers raising a child with ASD. Six Hispanic Fathers were recruited from the families known to the researcher. Face to face semi-structured interviews were conducted. A modified data analysis approach was utilized to identify themes common to these fathers. Four themes emerged from data analysis: 1) Spirituality and God, 2) Non-verbal connection, 3) late involvement, and 4) extended family’s involvement.

A mixed-methods feasibility study of an intervention to improve men\u2019s mental health and wellbeing during their transition to fatherhood

BackgroundMany health visiting services in England use the Promotional Guide system with mothers and fathers, an intervention to support their transition to parenthood, but there is little known about its use and effectiveness, especially with fathers. The aim of this study was to test the feasibility and acceptability of the Promotional Guide system with first-time fathers and pilot potential outcome measures to assess their mental health and wellbeing.MethodsA mixed methods prospective observational cohort study. Expectant first-time fathers were recruited from four London (UK) local authority boroughs. Data were collected through online pre and post intervention questionnaires, and semi-structured telephone interviews. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and qualitative data were analysed using framework analysis.ResultsEighty-six fathers were interested in participating; 7 did not meet inclusion criteria and 79 were invited to complete the baseline questionnaire. Questionnaires completed by 45 men at both timepoints were included in the final analysis. Mean and standard deviations were calculated for all outcomes, showing a slight deterioration in the scores across all measures in the postnatal period compared to the antenatal. Ten of these men were also interviewed. Six major categories were identified: 1) Experience of health visitor contact, 2) Experience of Promotional Guides, 3) Experience of perinatal health services, 4) Experience of fatherhood, 5) Fathers’ mental health and wellbeing, and 6) Experience of the research process.While antenatal and postnatal outcomes were collected from 45 first-time fathers, none had received the intervention in its entirety. This study identified major gaps in the implementation of the Promotional Guide system with fathers.ConclusionThis study assessed recruitment of first-time fathers, time to complete recruitment, and retention rates and identified outcome measures that could be used in a future definitive study. While it wasn’t possible to examine the potential changes following the use of the Promotional Guide system, the study reported on the changes in the fathers’ ‘states’ in the antenatal and postnatal period. It provided a narrative on whether first-time fathers found it acceptable to be asked about their mental health and wellbeing, highlighted their specific needs during their transition to fatherhood, and how they wanted to be supported. It also identified barriers to implementation of the Promotional Guide system by health visitors, which need to be addressed prior to any future research into this intervention. These findings have a number of implications for researchers, health professionals, health service managers, commissioners, policy makers and parents.

Translation and validation of the first time fathers questionnaire into Persian

Background/Aims The presence of fathers during labour and birth can have favourable outcomes for the health of the mother, father and infant. However, there are few studies on fathers' experiences while being present during labour and birth, which necessitates the development of a valid questionnaire for this purpose. The aim of this study was to translate and culturally adapt the first time fathers questionnaire into Persian. Methods A total of 220 first-time fathers at private midwifery counseling centers were given a translated questionnaire to complete. Forward-backward translation of the questionnaire was conducted and content, face and construct validity were examined. After extracting factors and item distribution, confirmatory factor analysis was performed. Cronbach's alpha was used for reliability. Results A valid 19-item questionnaire with four dimensions, ‘worry’, ‘acceptance and support during labor’, ‘support during and after birth’, and ‘preparedness’ was obtained. The Cronbach's alpha was 0.78. Conclusions The Persian questionnaire is valid and reliable for examining the experiences of first-time fathers. It can be employed to evaluate fathers' experiences during labour and birth in midwifery services planning to promote quality of care during childbirth.

Standing in spaces and feeling alright: The experience of bereaved fathers of fallen soldiers in Israel.

Standing in spaces and feeling alright: The experience of bereaved fathers of fallen soldiers in Israel.

When the Big House Freaked Out: The Rise and Fall of Industrial Brazil in a Single Lifetime

When the Big House Freaked Out: The Rise and Fall of Industrial Brazil in a Single Lifetime

Caring Fathers: Reflecting Lived Experiences of Fathers having Children with Disabilities

Caring Fathers: Reflecting Lived Experiences of Fathers having Children with Disabilities

How do Fathers With ID Experience Their Children Being Removed from Their Care Through the English Court System?

AbstractBackgroundFathers with ID are likely to face many disadvantages when compared with non‐ID parents, such as social and financial challenges and emotional trauma, including trauma due to having their children removed from their care. Services are required to support fathers with ID and tailor their practices to be accessible to this group of parents. Despite recommendations, many services continue to struggle to provide this.AimsThere are very few studies exploring the experiences of fathers with ID whose children have been removed by English courts. The aim of this study was to provide insights into the experiences of these fathers in order to inform practice guidelines on how fathers with ID can be best supported.MethodsInterpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was used to analyze interviews with five fathers.ResultsIPA produced the following themes: The Court as Lion's Den, Fighting for my Role as a Father, and The Personal Cost of it All.ConclusionsThe findings highlight that fathers with ID find the experience of their children being taken into care overwhelmingly painful. The processes by which these decisions are made are seen as unfair. Recommendations for practice improvement are offered.

“My Kids Will Always Be around Me, if Not Physically, Spiritually They Will Always Be around Me”: Fathers in Forensic Inpatient Care

ABSTRACT The current study aimed to increase understanding of men’s experiences of fatherhood in forensic inpatient care; a population overlooked in research and at risk of neglect in clinical practice. Eight participants recruited from forensic inpatient services were interviewed. Data was analyzed via social constructivist Grounded Theory. The central psychological concept developed was that of paternal connection, reflecting a transient sense of connection to the father-child relationship. Core categories included 1) Psychological Processes, 2) Interpersonal Relationships, and 3) Institutional Organization. Fathers in forensic inpatient care experience dynamic psychological connectivity to their paternal relationship, regardless of child contact. This multi-layered experience requires responsive intervention to support fathers in this context. Recommendations for research, practice, and policy are outlined.

Young Fathers in Jail: Associations between Father Experiences, Father–Child Relationships, and Community Stability

ABSTRACT Research on paternal incarceration has paid less attention to young fathers incarcerated in jail settings where most residents are either pretrial detained or serving out short sentences. This study describes the characteristics of a sample of 103 jailed fathers aged 18 to 25, including two subsamples consist of participants who had opportunity to recidivate (n = 83) and participants who completed trauma history questionnaire (n = 62), and explores associations between father experiences, father–child relationships, behavioral health factors, and recidivism. Results show jailed young fathers have several risk factors as well as strengths. Their father–child relationship is positively associated with training on fathering skills, employment experiences, and self-efficacy, and negatively associated with incarceration history. Employment is the only variable that identifies the differences in recidivism. Implications for a future research agenda are discussed.

Paternal Imprisonment and Father–Child Relationships: A Systematic Review

Although father–child relationships (FCRs) are central to children’s experience of paternal imprisonment, few studies address this subject. A systematic review was conducted to synthesize the literature on paternal imprisonment and FCRs. Four academic databases were searched for peer-reviewed studies. Thirty studies were identified. It was found that FCRs most often deteriorate due to paternal imprisonment, but sometimes remain stable or change positively. Four key factors were found to influence FCRs: (a) the quality of preprison FCRs, (b) the frequency and experience of father–child contact during imprisonment, (c) the child’s primary caregivers’ role in facilitating father–child contact, and (d) prison barriers for maintaining FCRs during imprisonment. The interplay between these factors is essential for understanding FCRs in this context, which may explain children’s divergent experiences of paternal imprisonment. An integrated framework of FCRs in the context of paternal imprisonment is presented. Limitations and directions for research are discussed.

Towards generative fatherhood. Analysis of the social dimensions of the phenomenon.

In the face of the changes taking place in the area of parental roles and the expanding range of possibilities of fulfilling the father role (from the uninvolved father, the mother's helper to the father as an equal parent or even the primary caregiver), there is a need to take into account individual, individual and social aspects. The concept of generative fathering, understood as equal participation in all aspects of childcare, offers such an opportunity because it refers to men's motivations and aspirations, and at the same time describes the institutional basis of changes. The presented article characterizes the factors conducive to the development of generative orientation: egalitarian relationship with child’s mother, professional work that gives space for implementation in other areas of life and the possibility of creating a satisfactory relationship with the child. Research findings relating to the links between professional work of both parents and paternal commitment, and to the participation of fathers in childcare, suggest that generativity - when analyzed in a social context - is not a common father experience.

Fathers and grandmothers experiences participating in nutrition peer dialogue groups in Vihiga County, Kenya.

Grandmothers and fathers are key influencers of maternal and child nutrition and are increasingly included in interventions. Yet, there is limited research exploring their experiences participating in interventions. This study reports on findings from a qualitative process evaluation of a quasi‐experimental study that we conducted with grandmother and father peer dialogue groups to support maternal, infant and young child feeding practices in western Kenya. The aim was to explore grandmother and father experiences participating in interventions and how participation influences care and feeding practices. Grandmother and father peer educators received training to facilitate discussions about maternal and child nutrition, HIV and infant feeding, family communication, and family members' roles. Father peer educators also received training on gender inequities and power dynamics. In the original quasi‐experimental study, the intervention was associated with increased social support and improvements in some complementary feeding practices. The process evaluation explored participants' experiences and how participation influenced infant care and feeding practices. We used Atlas.ti to thematically analyse data from 18 focus group discussions. The focus group discussions revealed that grandmothers and fathers valued their groups, the topics discussed and what they learned. Grandmothers reported improved infant feeding and hygiene practices, and fathers reported increased involvement in child care and feeding and helping with household tasks. Both described improved relationships with daughters‐in‐law or wives. This study highlights the importance of engaging influential family members to support child nutrition and identifies factors to build cohesion among group members, by building on grandmothers' roles as advisors and expanding fathers' roles in nutrition through gender transformative activities.

A Study on Parenting Experience of Fathers of Multi-Child Family with Early Childhood Children

목적 본 연구는 저출산 문제가 심각하게 대두되는 시대적 상황에서 저출산 위기의 해답이 될 수 있는 다자녀가정 아버지의 양육경험에 대해 알아보고 사회⋅문화적 함의를 탐색하는데 그 목적이 있다. 방법 이를 위하여 유아기 자녀를 둔 다자녀가정 아버지 10명을 연구참여자로 선정하여 개인 심층면담을 실시하여 자료를 수집하였으며, 수집된 자료는 지속적 비교분석을 원형으로하는 개방코딩을 실시하였다. 결과 연구결과 유아기 자녀를 둔 다자녀가정 아버지의 양육경험은 첫째 어쩌다 다자녀가정의 아버지가 되어 의무감을 느끼는 아버지의 속마음, 둘째 작은 사회를 경험하며 성장하는 아이들과 행복감의 원천이 되는 다자녀가정의 장점, 셋째 돌봄과 경제적 어려움에 대한 염려 및 나누기 힘든 관심과 사랑 등 양육의 어려움, 넷째 사회적 개선방향으로 다자녀가정을 바라보는 시선과 실질적 도움이 되는 정책마련으로 나누어볼 수 있다. 결론 이본 연구는 유아기 자녀를 둔 다자녀가정 아버지의 양육경험과 인식을 통해 저출산 문제해결의 방안을 모색해보고 다자녀 가정의 삶의 질 향상을 위한 정책을 제안했다는 데 그 의미가 있다

A descriptive qualitative study exploring the experiences of fathers with partners suffering from maternal perinatal depression

ObjectiveThe onset of maternal perinatal depression poses many challenges for fathers, yet in Singapore and Asia, the topic remains largely unexplored. This study aimed to gain insight into the experiences of fathers whose partners suffer from perinatal depression in the Asian milieu. DesignA descriptive qualitative study design was adopted. Purposive and snowball sampling methods were used to recruit participants. Semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were conducted individually with participants to collect data, which were analysed using thematic analysis. Setting and participantsTwelve fathers were recruited for the study. Eleven were from a perinatal mental health service in a tertiary hospital in Singapore, while 1 father was recruited via snowball sampling. FindingsFive themes describing the fathers’ journey through their partners’ perinatal depression emerged from the analysis. The themes are: (1) feeling their world collapse; (2) struggling with the depression; (3) enduring the emotional toll; (4) coping with the situation; and (5) emerging from the other side. Key conclusionsThe findings of this study highlighted the struggles, coping methods, and support needs of fathers whose partners suffer from perinatal depression. Fathers were often unable to identify perinatal depression in their partners. Notably, they testified to the need to tolerate verbal and sometimes violent outbursts from their partners, and requested for more available information, resources, and peer support groups. Implications for practiceThe findings underscore a need for pre-emptive education on maternal perinatal depression and more accessible resources. Healthcare professionals should assess fathers’ emotional responses to parenthood and their partners’ depression.

“If We Could Just Sit down and Talk”: Fathers’ Partnerships with Educational Professionals

ABSTRACT Family-professional partnerships are an important predictor of student success for children with and without disabilities. However, little is known about the perspectives of fathers of children with complex disabilities regarding their partnerships with educational professionals. This study presents findings from semi-structured interviews with 15 fathers of children with complex disabilities regarding their partnerships with professionals. Fathers described both challenging and collaborative interactions with the educational professionals working with their children. In challenging interactions, fathers described educational professionals focused on the monetary costs of their child’s educational needs, a struggle to find schools and programs that fit their child’s needs, and educators who were inflexible and unwilling to implement individualized instructional strategies. More positive and collaborative father-professional partnerships were characterized by authentic relationships that responded to the expertise of parents, as well as educators who were flexible and strengths-based in their practice. Fathers offered guidance for how educators could strengthen partnerships with fathers. Findings from this study extend the very limited research on the school involvement experiences of fathers of children with complex disabilities by identifying specific characteristics of positive and negative family-professional interactions for these fathers and highlighting avenues for change in professional practice to strengthen fathers’ school involvement experiences.

Experiences of fathers of children with a life-limiting condition: a systematic review and qualitative synthesis

BackgroundChildren with a life-limiting condition often require extensive and complex care, much of which is provided by their parents at home. There is a growing body of research that aims...

Parental Burnout and the COVID-19 Pandemic: How Portuguese Parents Experienced Lockdown Measures.

ObjectiveThis work aimed to analyze parental burnout (PB) and establish a comparison between the times before (Wave 1) and during (Wave 2) the COVID‐19 pandemic.BackgroundThe COVID‐19 pandemic brought additional stress to families. The pandemic could be particularly difficult for parents experiencing parental burnout, a condition that involves four dimensions: an overwhelming sense of exhaustion, emotional distancing from the child, saturation or a loss of fulfillment with the parental role, and a sharp contrast between how parents used to be and how they see themselves now.MethodA quasi‐longitudinal research design was adopted, comparing two cross‐sectional studies among Portuguese parents (N = 995), with an interval of 2 years between each wave of data collection. Participants were surveyed voluntarily through an online questionnaire located on the institutional web platform of the universities involved in the study. Multivariate analysis of covariance was used to take into account the associations among variables, alongside controlling the possible confounding effects.ResultsParents have overall higher parental burnout scores in Wave 2 than Wave 1, with increased exhaustion, emotional distancing, and contrast, but decreased saturation. Although parental burnout levels remain higher for mothers across the two Waves, the growth is greater for fathers than for mothers.ConclusionReconciling childcare with paid work is a stressful and new experience for many fathers. However, results suggest that even amid a crisis, some parents had the opportunity to deeply bond with their children.ImplicationsWe expect this work to encourage stakeholders to consider proper intervention strategies to address potential parental burnout. Also, initiatives that strengthen gender equity within parenting context are needed.

A qualitative exploration of fatherhood after acquired brain injury (ABI)

ABSTRACT Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) significantly affects individuals across multiple areas of intimate, familial, and parental domains. Gender and identity are pivotal research areas in navigating life after ABI. To date, scant research has explored gendered experiences, particularly those related to the masculine lifeworld. This study aimed to explore how men who were fathers before their injuries experience fatherhood after ABI. An Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) methodology was used, and seven fathers participated in the semi-structured interviews (time since injury 1-18 years, age range 27-66 years) which explored their meaning-making. Four superordinate themes were drawn from all interviews through engaging with the qualitative research process: (1) what being a father means, (2) altered relationships with others, (3) becoming lost and finding their way through, and (4) renewed fatherhood. The findings show intersectionality between pre-and post-injury comparisons of self and social identities, alongside the contextual and societal identities in the subjective fathering experiences. Through increased understanding, we may enable fathers to find new ways to resolve, reformulate, and connect to move into their future possible fatherhood. The importance of this research is in giving voice to these less represented men so that we may shape our understanding to aid future fathers post-ABI.

Validation of the Regulating Emotions in Parenting Scale (REPS): Factor structure and measurement invariance.

Parenting provides many positive experiences for mothers and fathers but also presents them with many challenges, such as regulating their emotions during interactions with their children. While emotion regulation (ER) has emerged as an important predictor of parenting behavior and a transdiagnostic target of parenting interventions, measures specifically targeting ER in the parenting context are lacking. This study describes the development and evaluation of the Regulating Emotions in Parenting Scale (REPS). Study 1 used an exploratory factor analysis and supported a 3-factor (Adaptive Strategies, Suppression, and Rumination) structure of the REPS in a sample of 331 parents (73% women) recruited from Amazon MTurk (parent Mage = 36.02, SDage = 9.27). This factor structure was confirmed in Study 2 using confirmatory factor analysis in an independent sample of 662 parents (61% women; parent Mage = 36.81, SDage = 14.18). Tests of measurement invariance and differential item functioning provided evidence of invariance of the REPS by gender. Correlations between REPS factors and related measures of parenting, psychopathology, and general ER were in the expected direction; correlations between the REPS and parenting and psychopathology were significantly higher in magnitude than correlations between general measures of ER and parenting and psychopathology. The REPS also explained more of the variance in parenting measures than general measures of ER. These findings indicated that the REPS may provide greater specificity than general measures of ER. Future studies should replicate these findings in other populations and establish invariance by race and ethnicity. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).