An Exploration of Factors Influencing the Quality of Children's Relationships with Their Father Following Divorce

The mental health and parenting practices of recently separated parents

“…These results give the first indication of such a phenomenon in New Zealand (alluded to in previous overseas research; Bokker et al, 2006;Stone, 2006); that those who attend court over dayto-day care disputes have higher rates of more severe mental health issues and have lower subjective wellbeing, They also show that those who lose the day-to-day care with their child/ren are at higher risk for suicidal ideation. The loss of contact with the child/ren post-separation has been associated with increases in mental health issues among noncustodial fathers (Umberson & Williams, 1993).…”

“…Furthermore, Stone (2006) found that the non-resident father"s role clarity and parenting ability had a significant impact on the father-child relationship, which may affect the amount of time a non-resident father spends with his child after a separation, and thereby contribute to poor adjustment in fathers with low contact with their children. Another study suggested that after separation, the parenting practices of mothers changed, which led their sons to exhibit internalizing or externalizing disorders, which then resulted in maternal depression (DeGarmo, Patterson & Forgatch, 2004).…”

“…These results are important for both the parents and children involved, as parents who lose day-to-day care of their child/ren are at a significant risk of mental health issues (Bokker et al, 2006;Stone, 2006). Additionally, the loss of a parent is, reportedly, the most negative aspect of parental separation for a child and with limited contact with one parent, relationships can weaken over time (Hetherington & Kelly, 2002;Kurdek & Siesky, 1980).…”

“…This is a plausible finding as those who provide consistent parenting would rate themselves as a better parent than a parent who is inconsistent. In the reverse direction, those who believe they can parent effectively may feel more confident in their interactions with child/ren and thus have more opportunities to develop a quality relationship with them (Stone, 2006). Additionally, Coleman and Karraker (1998) stated that parental self-efficacy beliefs have emerged as a powerful direct predictor of positive parenting practices and results found in a study by Stone (2006) suggests that parenting self-efficacy may be a critical factor in the development of a high quality father-child relationship post-separation.…”

“…This is an important finding and indicates that post-separation fathers can parent just as well as mothers and vice-versa. Such a lenience towards the mother having sole care of the child/ren may be an old-fashioned and unfair tradition put in place by out-dated societal conventions (Smyth, 2004) especially when there is solid research to suggest that, when appropriate, there are many benefits of having both parents involved in the child-rearing for parents and child/ren (Bender, 1994;Bokker et al, 2006;Kelly, 2005;Smyth, 2005;Stone, 2006).…”