When I was a practising psychologist, I had a single mother who came to me with a concern that her teenage son was depressed. She attributed his condition to not having a father figure. I explained to her that a complex combination of factors could contribute to depression, and not just because of the absence of a father.

Many variables interact with one another to contribute to the experience of depression in children and adolescents. There are biological factors such as genetics and biochemical imbalances in the brain; psychological factors which includes intelligence, thought patterns, and behavioural habits; social factors such as upbringing, family structure, education, peer group influence, presence (or absence) of social support; as well as environmental factors such as situations at home, school and in the neighbourhood.

Now, fathers may ask, “Surely there’s a significant impact of our involvement in our children’s development?” And yes, that’s true. While we cannot possibly pinpoint a child or teenager’s depression to the absence of a father, we also know that fathers have significant impact on children.

What we generally know from the research literature on parenting is that early involvement in parenting by fathers is associated with future behavioural, cognitive, emotional and social development in their children.

Fathers’ early interaction and attachment with their children can predict the quality of future father-child interaction where a more positive, nurturing, engaging and stimulating approach contribute to healthy growth of children, with less likelihood of developmental delays.

Research has also shown that the transition into fatherhood also alters the biology of a father as he prepares for the birth of his first child and when he interacts with the newborn, up to childhood.

We know that just like in mothers, hormones and brain structures in fathers adapt according to social interaction with their infants and young children.

Positive influence

Present fathers who provide cooperation, support and are active in building a stimulating and conducive environment for development of their children can expect them to grow with a better sense of security, especially when faced with life’s challenges and learning of new skills.

On the contrary, fathers who are disengaged and avoidant during early childhood years tend to be associated with later behavioural problems in children. Research also suggests that absent fathers risk negative outcomes in child development such as poorer mental health, higher levels of problematic behaviours and delinquency with risky behaviours such as drug use.

These findings support the need to provide fathers with opportunities to be an active parent, rather than being just the traditional breadwinner and not participate in directly nurturing their children, together with mothers. Such research also suggests a strong need for fathers to be more involved in parenting of children instead of depending on mothers to be the default parent.

Does this, then, spell doom for children who grow up without fathers? Certainly not.

This is because science has shown that despite some risks of poorer outcomes in child development where a father is absent, there are many other factors at play that protect children from single-mother families from these risks.

Recent studies in Europe have found that in general, there is no strong correlation between single mother families and problem behaviours in children. What we know is that unsupported mothers and those with poor mental health have poorer outcomes in child development.
 

Image

Multi-factorial

So just like in the aforementioned case of depression, there are many reasons contributing to developmental outcomes in children. Although absent fathers can be a concern, there are other reasons that contribute to triggering or maintaining problematic growth in children – physically and psychologically.

It is also important to note that many of these studies referred to are from Western countries. We still lack such studies in Malaysia and therefore do not have strong local evidence to support the points above.

While there has been much research on mothers in the science of parenting for a long time, the interest in fathers only surfaced in the mid-1970s in the West. And even when studies include fathers, many measurements still focus on mother-oriented dimensions. So there is still much to learn about fathers’ impact on children’s development.

Also, much has changed in terms of family structure and compositions as well as sociocultural expectations in parenting practices in the last few decades. More updated studies are needed to better understand the dynamics between parents and children with regards to overall child development.

Nevertheless, the takeaway is despite perceived disadvantages of the absence of fathers in a family, much can be done to foster healthy development in children. What’s important is to help children grow into resilient adults who are independent in problem-solving, while also resourceful in seeking help when needed.

And where a father is present, it is very important for him to be actively engaged in parenting.

At the end of the day, whether it is a two-parent, one-parent or blended family, what’s important is for parents to provide their young ones with a conducive, healthy and supportive environment in which they can develop well. Positive nurturing and unconditional acceptance go a long way in developing rounded, resilient children.

Professor Alvin Ng Lai Oon
School of Medical and Life Sciences
Email: @email

This article was first published in The Star, 9 October 2023.