Session: The Role of Mental Health in Fatherhood: Exploring Diverse Experiences and Impacts (Society for Social Work and Research 30th Annual Conference Anniversary)

Background and Purpose: Fatherhood plays a critical role in child development and family dynamics, yet the mental health challenges fathers face, especially those from marginalized backgrounds, are often under explored. This symposium emphasizes mental health in father child relationships, focusing on coparenting, emotional well-being, and resilience in the context of social determinants. It aims to deepen understanding of mental health's role in fatherhood and inform interventions that support fathers, strengthen family dynamics, and promote positive child development. Methods: This symposium features four complementary presentations with diverse data sources and methodologies. The first study used a nationally representative sample of Black fathers to explore how undermining coparenting affects mental and physical health outcomes. Depression was measured using the PHQ9, and restrictive emotionality was assessed through self-report scales. Structural equation modeling (SEM) tested mediating and moderating pathways. The second study utilized survey data from 528 low income, multiracial families to assess coparenting quality, focusing on trust, respect, and conflict in both mothers' and fathers' perceptions. SEM was used to model the effects of these perceptions on parenting quality. The third study examined how traditional masculine norms, contextual challenges, and the role of the father contributed to the mental health of Trump supporting fathers. Participants completed online surveys assessing masculine beliefs, fathering challenges, views on the role of the father, and mental health, with depressive symptoms, anxiety, and stress as outcomes. Multivariable regression analyses were conducted. The final study investigated father child closeness as a mediator between paternal mental health (depression and anxiety) and warmth in parenting. SEM was employed to test the role of father child closeness in fostering positive parenting behaviors, using a sample of 325 racially diverse fathers. Results: The first study found that undermining coparenting negatively impacted mental and physical health outcomes among Black fathers, with depression mediating this relationship. Restrictive emotionality moderated the link between coparenting and physical health. The second study showed that fathers' negative perceptions of coparenting were more strongly associated with lower coparenting quality than mothers' perceptions, with animosity predicting poorer coparenting. The third study linked traditional masculine norms and contextual challenges to higher depressive and anxiety symptoms, but a positive view of fatherhood acted as a protective factor. The final study showed that father child closeness mediated the relationship between paternal mental health and warmth in parenting. Conclusion and Implications: Together, these studies highlight the critical role of coparenting dynamics, paternal mental health, and father child relationships in shaping fathers involvement and parenting outcomes. They provide valuable insights to inform policies and practices that support fathers emotional well-being and parenting, particularly among those in marginalized communities. Interventions that strengthen coparenting relationships, promote nurturing father child connections, and challenge rigid masculine norms hold promise for enhancing both mental health and parenting efficacy. This symposium directly reflects the SSWR 2026 theme, "Leading for Transformative Change: Aligning Social Work Science with Policy and Practice," by offering actionable, evidence based strategies to bolster mental health supports for fathers and advance equity centered intervention and policy approaches.