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Involvement and Warmth of Fathers with Mental Illness: The Role of the Caregiving System, Parental Self-Efficacy, Social Support and Child Characteristics

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Abstract

This study compares the levels and predictors of paternal warmth and involvement of 69 fathers with serious mental illness (SMI) and 69 matched non-clinical (NC) fathers in Israel. Findings show that the NC fathers were more involved with their children, whereas the SMI fathers reported more warmth and perceived their children as less difficult. The interactions that were found in the regression analyses highlight the differences between the two groups. Among the SMI fathers, but not the NC fathers, higher paternal self-efficacy was associated with increased father involvement, and lower family support was associated with decreased warmth.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Social Work, Bar Ilan University, 529002, Ramat Gan, Israel

    Ricky Finzi-Dottan, Efrat Dayan-Gazith & Tali Borosh

  2. Child and Adolescence Outpatient Clinic, Geha Mental Health Center, P.O.B. 102, 49100, Petah Tiqva, Israel

    Ricky Finzi-Dottan & Pavel Golubchik

  3. Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel

    Pavel Golubchik

Authors
  1. Ricky Finzi-Dottan
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  2. Efrat Dayan-Gazith
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  3. Tali Borosh
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  4. Pavel Golubchik
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Correspondence to Ricky Finzi-Dottan.

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Finzi-Dottan, R., Dayan-Gazith, E., Borosh, T. et al. Involvement and Warmth of Fathers with Mental Illness: The Role of the Caregiving System, Parental Self-Efficacy, Social Support and Child Characteristics. Community Ment Health J 52, 972–982 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-016-0011-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-016-0011-9

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