Abstract
Awareness and interest in involving male caregivers in child mental health treatment has grown, especially for youth with disruptive behavior disorders like oppositional defiant disorder (ODD). The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between male caregiver involvement and treatment engagement for child ODD. Children (n = 122) ages 7–11 and their caregivers participated in the 4 Rs 2 Ss Strengthening Families Program for child-onset ODD. Families were compared based on male caregiver presence. Families with a male caregiver were significantly more resourced with respect to income, educational status, and food security. Additionally, they were over three times less likely to drop out of the program than those without a male caregiver. The presence of a male caregiver was associated with increased resources and higher rates of engagement in services than single, female-headed families. Future research is needed to discern the underlying mechanisms of this association.
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The authors thank Centene Corporation for their thoughtful review of this manuscript.
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This study was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (R01 MH106771).
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Acri was the primary author, McKay and Joe assisted with framing the discussion. Chun, Yin and Fang had full access to the data in the study and take responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis.
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Acri, M., Chun, Y., Yin, S. et al. Male Caregivers and Engagement in a Family Strengthening Program for Child Disruptive Behavior Disorders. Community Ment Health J 58, 1513–1521 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-022-00966-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-022-00966-2