title: Fathers with mental illness: implications for clinicians and health services.
abstract: A significant proportion of fathers living with their natural, adopted, step or foster children experience mental illness. Psychiatric illness among fathers can have a devastating impact on children's wellbeing, and even milder forms of paternal mental illness can have serious developmental effects on children. While several pathways linking paternal mental illness with poor child outcomes have been identified, fathers' impaired parenting is an important, potentially malleable factor. Clinicians can assist fathers with mental illness and their families by proactively inquiring about children and by exploring fathering-focused psychological support.
authors.affiliation: Family Action Centre, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia. richard.fletcher@newcastle.edu.au.
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Fletcher
authors.affiliation: Hunter New England Local Health District, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: O'Neil N
authors.initials: ON
authors.lastname: Maharaj
authors.affiliation: Hunter New England Local Health District, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Chloe H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Fletcher Watson
authors.affiliation: Family Action Centre, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: May
authors.affiliation: Children of Parents with a Mental Illness national iniative, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
authors.forename: Nigel
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Skeates
authors.affiliation: Odyssey House, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gruenert
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents / Q000523:psychology; D005192:Family Health; D005220:Fathers; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology; D010819:Physician's Role