Top 10 Child Care Hospitals in 2022

The Role of
Fathers in
Children’s Mental
HealthBy- Rajeev Thakur
Mental health has gained sudden prominence after
it became the biggest fallout of the COVID-19
pandemic and the subsequent lockdown,
especially amongst children & adolescents, who have been
shuttered down amidst the growing virus spread. They have
been unable to access an essential social safety net as they
were prevented from learning, playing, intermingling with
friends, and moving outdoors. Children also suffered from
unimaginable grief & trauma over the loss of near ones. The
severity of the mental health challenges has the potential
that can lead to disability, disease, death, or cause
impairment leading to anxiety and depression.
Mental health, especially in children, impacts their ability to
succeed in school, college, at work, and in society. Their
overall health, a combination of physical and mental health,
affects how they think, feel and act on the inside and
outside. It is a fact that mental health is important
throughout childhood—from the prenatal stage through the
transition into adulthood.
In the past, a child’s developmental stage had been
considered a mother’s responsibility, as reinforced by
Abraham Lincoln, who said, “All that I am or ever hope to
be, I owe to my angel Mother.” In the field of psychology,
too, a mother's influence on a child's mental health has been
given prominence, but over the last few years, there has
been a significant shift in our culture around family
structure and parenting roles. Psychological studies &
research have confirmed the huge influence that fathers
have on the mental health of their children. Evidence
suggests that responsible and involved fathering, starting
from the prenatal period into adolescence, has huge positive
effects on the well-being of children right up to adulthood.
High levels of father involvement are correlated with higher
levels of sociability, confidence, and self-control in
children. Children with involved fathers are less likely to
act out in school or engage in risky behaviors in
adolescence. Fathers provide a positive male role model for
their children and help to promote better behaviors. As a
result, children with more involved fathers tend to have
fewer behavioral and impulse control problems, longer
attention spans, and a higher level of sociability. Studies
have also shown a huge impact of good fathering on
cognitive ability, educational achievement, psychological
well-being & social behavior of children.
One of the most important influences a father can have on
children is indirect, through the quality of his relationship
with the mother of their children. A father who has a good
relationship with the mother of their children is more likely
to be involved and to spend time with their children and to
have children who are psychologically and emotionally
healthier. The quality of the relationship affects the
parenting behavior of both parents, who are likely to be
more responsive, affectionate, and confident with their
infants; more self-controlled in dealing with defiant
toddlers; and better confidants for teenagers seeking advice
and emotional support. Parents who show their affection for
each other openly in front of their children provide a greater
feeling of security and closeness to the children.
Fathers who treat the mothers of their children with respect
and deal with conflict within the relationship in an adult and
38|www.insightscare.com April 2022