Stigma Associated with Parental Support Among Fathers Participating in Head Start Services

 

Background: The involvement of fathers, and other supportive male adults, strongly promotes healthy child development, particularly among low-income children. Prior studies have reported challenges with engaging fathers in parenting interventions, yet little is known about the barriers to participation, particularly among fathers of color. Research from other domains, such as health care, mental health, and child welfare, has found perceived stigma to be a significant barrier to service use. However, there is currently no measure available to assess stigma among male caregivers in the context of parenting interventions, which greatly inhibits our ability to conduct research in this area. To address these gaps, this study had two objectives: (1) to adapt a measure of stigma and examine its initial psychometric properties in a field test with primarily low-income, African-American fathers, and (2) to assess the perceived level of stigma associated with parental support among fathers offered a parenting support program.

Methods: Data were collected using a mixed methods approach as part of a larger study on a fatherhood support program. The Stigma Scale for Receiving Psychological Help (SSRPH) is a validated measure of stigma used to assess stigma as a barrier for receiving mental health services. An adapted version of the SSRPH was administered to fathers and father figures (N=83) involved in the lives of children receiving Head Start/Early Head Start services. The majority of fathers in the larger study were African American (84%). Instrument modifications included a brief statement regarding the meaning of “stigma” and the addition of father specific language to each item (e.g., “Seeking help or advice for problems related to being a father carries social stigma”). Cognitive interviews (N=10) were conducted with a sub-sample of fathers. Interviews focused on assessing respondents’ understanding of adapted SSRPH items, as well as perceptions of the term “father” throughout the instrument. Internal consistency reliability and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used to assess psychometric properties of the scale.

Results: Cronbach’s alpha for the adapted SSRPH (a = .78) indicated a high degree of internal consistency, providing support for the use of this measure with our sample of fathers. The CFA supported the one-factor solution from the original scale. Interview data provided support for instrument adaptations, as some respondents indicated lack of “stigma” understanding without the addition of a definition. Interview data further indicated that inclusion of specific “father” language within the scale affected some respondents’ item interpretation. Survey data demonstrated that respondents did not associate a high degree of stigma with asking for or receiving parenting support.

Implications: The findings suggest that the adapted SSRPH is a useful instrument for assessing the stigma that fathers associate with parental support. Further, fathers in this sample perceived a low level of stigma associated with such support. This indicates that at least among fathers receiving parenting services through Head Start, stigma reduction strategies may not be needed to improve father engagement. Further research on engagement of fathers and father figures in parental support programs could examine additional barriers that impede their participation.