For too long, public discussions about family health have treated fathers as secondary participants rather than essential contributors — even though decades of research demonstrate that the well-being of fathers has a direct impact on the well-being of children.

The lesson is clear: Healthy fathers contribute to healthy families.

The conversation about family well-being must become more inclusive. Supporting mothers and children remains essential. Supporting fathers is essential, too. The health of fathers isn’t separate from the health of families. It’s inseparable from it.

This article is part of a series called “The Fatherhood Imperative: Rethinking the Role of Fathers in America.” You can find links to all articles in the series at the bottom of this post. 

By Kenneth Braswell, CEO, Fathers Incorporated

In conversations about family well-being, we often focus on the health of mothers and children. These discussions are necessary and important. However, another part of the family equation receives far less attention: the health and well-being of fathers.

If there are approximately 72 million fathers in the United States, as reported by the U.S. Census Bureau, including roughly 24 million fathers living with children under age 18, then the physical, emotional, and mental health of fathers isn’t a marginal issue. It’s a public health issue affecting millions of children, families, and communities every day.

The reality is simple: Fathers can’t pour from an empty cup.

When fathers are physically healthy, emotionally stable, and mentally resilient, they’re better positioned to support their children, contribute to their households, participate in their communities, and build healthy relationships. When fathers struggle with untreated health conditions, chronic stress, depression, trauma, substance use, or isolation, the consequences often ripple through entire families.

For too long, public discussions about family health have treated fathers as secondary participants rather than essential contributors — even though decades of research demonstrate that the well-being of fathers has a direct impact on the well-being of children.

Research consistently shows that children benefit when fathers are actively engaged in their lives. A landmark systematic review published in Acta Paediatrica found that children with involved fathers are more likely to earn higher grades, enjoy school, develop stronger verbal and cognitive skills, graduate from high school, and attend college. Father involvement has also been linked to healthier emotional development and stronger social functioning.

The benefits extend beyond academics.

Research from Child Trends, the National Center for Fathering, and other leading institutions shows that children with positively engaged fathers are less likely to experience depression, engage in delinquent behavior, or misuse drugs and alcohol. They’re also more likely to demonstrate emotional regulation, social competence, and resilience.

These outcomes don’t occur in isolation. Instead, they’re often connected to a father’s ability to be present, attentive, supportive, and emotionally available.

This reality raises an important question: How can fathers fully support their families if no one is supporting them?

Significant Challenges Facing Fathers Today

Many fathers are balancing employment demands, financial pressures, co-parenting responsibilities, caregiving obligations, relationship challenges, and concerns about housing, transportation, and economic stability. For fathers in under-resourced communities, these pressures are often compounded by systemic barriers, limited access to healthcare, involvement with the justice system, or histories of trauma.

Negative Stereotypes

Black fathers in particular often navigate unique stressors associated with discrimination, economic inequality, community violence, and persistent negative stereotypes. Yet one of the most overlooked findings in fatherhood research challenges many of the assumptions commonly made about Black men and parenting.

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black fathers who live with their children are among the most actively engaged fathers in daily caregiving activities. They are more likely than fathers from several other racial and ethnic groups to bathe, dress, diaper, or help care for their children daily, eat meals with them regularly, and assist with homework. These findings stand in sharp contrast to the stereotypes that often dominate public narratives about Black fatherhood.

Mental Health

Mental health is perhaps one of the clearest examples of why father well-being deserves greater attention. For generations, men have been encouraged to suppress emotions, avoid vulnerability, and handle problems on their own. Many fathers continue to carry these expectations today. As a result, symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress, and trauma frequently go unrecognized or untreated.

Research has found that fathers can experience depression during the transition to parenthood, including postpartum depression following the birth of a child. A landmark meta-analysis published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that approximately 8-10% of fathers experience postpartum depression. Rates rise dramatically — to nearly 25% — when mothers are also experiencing depression. Yet fathers are rarely screened, and few systems are designed to identify or respond to their needs.

The consequences extend beyond the individual father.

Studies have shown that a father’s mental health influences parenting behaviors, relationship quality, family functioning, and child outcomes. Children are more likely to thrive when parents are emotionally healthy and capable of providing consistent support and care.

The stakes become even clearer when examining broader trends in men’s mental health. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, men account for nearly 80% of suicide deaths in the United States. While not all men are fathers, this statistic underscores a troubling reality: Many men are struggling in silence, often without adequate support or intervention.

Chronic Health Conditions

Research consistently shows that men are less likely than women to seek preventive healthcare and more likely to delay medical treatment. As a result, chronic conditions often go undiagnosed or untreated until they become more serious.

Among American men, nearly half have hypertension. Heart disease remains the leading cause of death, and diabetes affects millions of adult men nationwide. These conditions can limit a father’s ability to work, participate in family life, and engage fully with his children.

Paternal Mortality

The conversation becomes even more urgent when considering mortality. Recent research has begun drawing attention to paternal mortality during childhood and its impact on families. A 2024 study published in JAMA Pediatrics found that approximately one in 14 children in the United States — about 7% — will experience the death of a parent or sibling before reaching age 18. The study also found that paternal death occurs more frequently than maternal death and that Black children experience parental loss at significantly higher rates than white children.

The consequences are profound.

Research links parental death to increased risks of depression, anxiety, academic difficulties, economic hardship, and long-term health challenges. The loss of a father can create emotional, social, and financial disruptions that affect children for years, if not decades.

Yet paternal mortality remains largely absent from public discussions about family health.

Challenging the Limited Value America Places on Fathers

This silence reflects a larger problem: America often measures the value of fathers by what they provide rather than by what they experience.

We talk about fathers as workers.

We talk about fathers as providers.

We talk about fathers as protectors.

Far less often do we talk about fathers as human beings whose health, struggles, fears, and challenges deserve attention in their own right.

Organizations like Fathers Incorporated (FI) have spent years working to change that narrative.

Through programs addressing father engagement, mental health, legitimation, workforce development, co-parenting, and community support, FI has witnessed firsthand the impact of providing fathers with safe spaces to talk openly about their experiences and access resources that strengthen their well-being.

The lesson is clear: Healthy fathers contribute to healthy families.

Research from Child Trends and the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse shows that children with involved fathers are more likely to live in economically stable households, avoid poverty, experience fewer adverse childhood experiences, and develop stronger social and emotional skills. When fathers receive support for their physical health, mental health, and emotional well-being, children benefit. Partners benefit. Communities benefit.

The conversation about family well-being must become more inclusive. Supporting mothers and children remains essential. Supporting fathers is essential, too. The health of fathers isn’t separate from the health of families. It’s inseparable from it.

As policymakers, healthcare providers, educators, employers, and community leaders continue working to strengthen families, fathers must no longer be treated as afterthoughts in conversations about health and well-being.

Strong families require healthy fathers, and healthy fathers help build stronger families.

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Want to know more? This article is the second in a 3-part series called “The Fatherhood Imperative: Rethinking the Role of Fathers in America.” Be sure to check out “72 Million Reasons: Why Fatherhood Is America’s Most Overlooked Institution” (part 1) and “The Fatherhood Dividend: What Happens When Fathers Are Included” (part 3), which is coming soon!

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Resources

• U.S. Census Bureau. “Father’s Day Statistics.” https://www.census.gov
• Sarkadi, A., Kristiansson, R., Oberklaid, F., & Bremberg, S. (2008). Father’s involvement and children’s developmental outcomes: A systematic review of longitudinal studies. Acta Paediatrica.
• Paulson, J. F., & Bazemore, S. D. (2010). Prenatal and postpartum depression in fathers and its association with maternal depression. Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). National Center for Health Statistics and Men’s Health Data. https://www.cdc.gov
• Jones, J., & Mosher, W. (2013). Fathers’ involvement with their children: United States, 2006–2010. CDC National Health Statistics Reports.
• Burns, K. C., et al. (2024). Childhood exposure to the death of a parent or sibling in the United States. JAMA Pediatrics.
• Child Trends. Research on Father Involvement and Child Well-Being. https://www.childtrends.org
• National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse. https://www.fatherhood.gov
• Fathers Incorporated. Status Code Blue: Addressing the Mental Health and Resiliency of Black Fathers.
• Fathers Incorporated. Mental Health Matters: Why Black Dad’s Positive Mental Health Is Good for Youth Academic Outcomes.
• Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.acf.hhs.gov