An Examination of Fathers' Mental Health Help Seeking: A Brief Report. (November 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Isacco, Anthony; Hofscher, Richard; Molloy, Sonia
• Is Part Of: American journal of men's health. Volume 10:Number 6(2016)
• Page Start: NP33
• Page End: NP38
• Publication Date: 2016-11
• Subjects: fathers -- help seeking -- mental health -- depression -- counseling fathers; Men -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Sex factors in disease -- Periodicals; Men -- Health and hygiene -- Periodicals; Men -- Health and hygiene -- United States -- Periodicals; Men -- Medical care -- Periodicals; 362.10811
• DOI: 10.1177/1557988315581395
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1557-9883

Abstract

Fathers' mental health help seeking is an understudied area. Using participants ( N = 1, 989) from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, this study hypothesized that few fathers would seek mental health services; and increases in anxiety, depression, and parental stress would predict less mental health help seeking. Only 3.2% of the participants reported seeking mental health counseling. Among the three independent variables, only depression emerged as a significant factor that predicted less mental health help-seeking behaviors in fathers. Future research and clinical efforts need to better understand the low rates of help seeking and to identify pathways that facilitate positive mental health help seeking among fathers.