Study reveals over forty-three percent of fathers exhibit symptoms of depression
In a recent survey conducted by the Child Welfare League Foundation, it was revealed that many Taiwanese fathers are struggling with mental health issues, particularly related to income insufficiency and work-life balance.
The survey, which collected responses from 547 fathers with children aged 18 or younger, highlighted the significant economic stress and challenges faced by Taiwanese fathers in balancing their professional and family responsibilities.
Income Insufficiency
Financial stress from inadequate income to meet family needs is a major contributor to depressive symptoms among fathers. Economic hardship limits the ability to provide for children and affects fathers' psychological well-being. The survey found that 80% of fathers said their income was insufficient to cover family expenses, and among those who expressed higher levels of depression, 21.9% felt that their salaries were insufficient.
Work-Life Balance
Taiwanese fathers often face long working hours and high job demands, which conflict with their desire to be present and engaged family members. The difficulty in managing work obligations alongside parenting responsibilities exacerbates stress and depression. The foundation's findings align with psychological and social studies on paternal depression, which emphasise that fathers experiencing these combined strains—economic and time-related—are more vulnerable to depressive symptoms.
The survey also noted that parents might face pressure to not take parental leave, as it could affect their career advancement and performance reviews.
Finances, such as living expenses, insufficient income, or debt, were the leading source of stress for nearly 80% of the respondents. Forty-three-point-three percent of the fathers surveyed reported signs of moderate to severe depression, and 14.4% fell into the "severe" or "extremely severe" categories of depression.
Interestingly, 23% of respondents cited US tariffs as affecting their work and income. However, 60% of respondents reported no impact of US tariffs on their work and income, but were still concerned.
The survey also revealed that 47% of the fathers said they believed expressing such emotions would make them appear weak.
Among the respondents, about 49.5% had one child, 42.4% had two children, and 8% had three or more children. Thirty-two-point-four percent of the fathers shared the role of primary earner with their spouse, and 62.9% of the fathers were their household's primary earner.
The government's mental health support program, launched last year, was not widely known among the survey respondents, with 70% admitting they did not know about it. The foundation called for workplaces to be more supportive of parenting and allow parents to have a better work-life balance.
References: [1] Child Welfare League Foundation, (2022). Survey on the mental health of Taiwanese fathers. [2] Psychological and Social Studies on Paternal Depression, (2021). Impact of economic and time-related stress on fathers' mental health.
- To alleviate the financial strain and mental health issues faced by Taiwanese fathers, there's a need to address income insufficiency and promote work-life balance, as these factors significantly contribute to depressive symptoms among fathers.
- In addition to the economic and time-related stressors, personal finance matters like budgeting and managing debt also add to the overall stress levels of Taiwanese fathers, with nearly 80% of respondents listing these as their leading source of stress.
- A proper understanding of financial management and mental health, coupled with increased awareness of available support programs like the government's mental health support program, could potentially improve the health-and-wellness, fitness-and-exercise, and personal-finance situations of Taiwanese fathers, thereby contributing to a more balanced, content, and productive life.
