Fathers' mental Ill-health and child maltreatment: A systematic review of the literature

Ian Holdroyd; Paul Bywaters; Robbie Duschinsky; Taurean Drayak; John Taylor; Barry Coughlan

doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2023.107317

Fathers' mental Ill-health and child maltreatment: A systematic review of the literature

Child Youth Serv Rev. 2024 Feb:157:107317. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2023.107317.

Authors

Ian Holdroyd¹, Paul Bywaters², Robbie Duschinsky¹, Taurean Drayak³, John Taylor³, Barry Coughlan¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, UK.
² Human and Health Sciences, University of Huddersfield, UK.
³ Independent Scholar.

Abstract

Background: Parental mental ill-health is often described as a risk factor for child maltreatment. Yet the literature commonly foregrounds maternal mental ill-health. To obtain a more complete picture, it is crucial to also understand the associations between fathers' mental health and child maltreatment.

Aim: To provide a narrative synthesis of evidence about the relationship between fathers' mental health and child maltreatment.

Method: Four electronic databases were searched, identifying 5479 citations. 151 studies were brought to full-text review. 37 were included in the study.

Results: Studies revealed mixed evidence for associations between forms of paternal mental ill health and child maltreatment, with stronger evidence for paternal depression and weak or no evidence for PTSD and anxiety. Many confounding factors were identified across the papers.

Discussion: The small number and limited range of good quality studies indicate the need to correct the relative invisibility of fathers within research about mental health and child maltreatment. At present, the available evidence is not sufficient to draw firm conclusions about the association between fathers' mental health and child maltreatment or appropriate policy and practice responses.

Keywords: Abuse; Maltreatment; Mental health; Neglect; Paternal.