Parenting and family experiences of Chinese fathers with mental illness

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: Having a mental illness may undermine men's self-image as a father while having children may facilitate their recovery. Many fathers who experience mental health issues experience stigma and are reluctant to seek support in their parental role. Most studies in this field focus on fathers from Western countries. WHAT DOES THE PAPER ADD TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: Similar to Western fathers, Chinese fathers reported both negative parenting (parenting disengagement, harsh parenting and inconsistent discipline) and positive father-child interactions when ill. Unlike their Western counterparts, Chinese fathers relied on extended family support in their parenting role, though this support was problematic at times. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: This research helps mental health nurses understand the experiences of Chinese fathers with mental illness. Findings suggest that specific cultural adaptions to family-focused interventions are needed for the Chinese context including considering extended family members (e.g. grandparents).

INTRODUCTION: Parenting roles are important for those with a mental illness. While research on mothers is well established there is scant focus on fathers with mental illness, especially in non-Anglophone countries.

To better understand the parenting and family experiences of fathers, who have a mental illness, from the People's Republic of China.

Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine Chinese fathers with mental illness, using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.

Seven superordinate themes were identified: (i) mental illness undermines idealized images of fatherhood; (ii) parenting in the context of mental illness; (iii) concerns about the negative impact of their illness on children; (iv) children as a burden and a source of hope; (v) stigma; (vi) relying on family support; and (vii) unmet professional and peer support needs.

Chinese fathers held a gendered image of fatherhood, and experienced self-stigma for not living up to their ideal sense of fatherhood, which resulted in a reluctance to seek support. This study adds to the existing literature by focusing on Chinese fathers. Although many of their experiences are similar to fathers from Western countries, some differences were found, notably around a reliance on extended family support.

Nurses and other mental health professionals need to adopt a family-focused, culturally informed approach to supporting Chinese fathers with mental illness and their families.