Fatherlessness & Mental Health Outcomes

The effects of broken families have been staggering. Children from fatherless homes fare far worse in overall well-being and mental and behavioral health. These children are often burdened with lower self-esteem than other children, and they do not understand why their fathers abandoned them (Brown). This leads to a number of emotional problems like anxiety, social withdrawal, and depression, and it also leads to an increased risk of suicide and other forms of self-harm (Brown). Some data suggests that 63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes, and 85% of children who exhibit behavioral disorders are from fatherless homes (U.S. DOJ Office of Justice programs, 1998).

Overall, data suggests that children from single-parent families are twice as likely to suffer from mental health and behavioral problems as those living with married parents (Anderson, 2014). Research also suggests that high-risk children in single-parent homes have nearly five times greater chance of developing mood disorders than those in dual-parent households, even when controlling for household income, age, and depression status of parents (Teel, 2016). Considering these statistics, it is no surprise that children in single-parent families also have a higher prevalence of suicide attempts (Garnefski, Diekstra 1997). This research suggests that fatherlessness is a significant contributor to mental health issues in children. Some data also suggest that children without fathers are also 10 times more likely to abuse chemical substances, and 71% of all children who abuse substances come from fatherless homes (National Center for Fathering). Another study found that 75% of adolescent patients in substance abuse centers are from fatherless homes (U.S. DOJ Office of Justice programs, 1998).

The unfortunate reality is that single parenthood does not only affect the health and well-being of the children—it affects the single parents as well. Both lone fathers and lone mothers have higher rates of mood disorders and substance use disorders than married parents, and single mothers fare about twice as poorly as single fathers in this regard. Both lone fathers and lone mothers are at far greater risk of psychiatric disorders than married couples (Wade, 2011).