Refugee Fathers Study
What is already known
Approximately one in 10 Australian fathers of children younger than five years old have been shown to experience clinically significant levels of psychological distress. Fathers of refugee background have approximately three times the odds of experiencing psychological distress than Australian-born fathers during their children’s early years.
Poor mental health and post-traumatic stress in fathers can impact children’s emotional, behavioural, and learning outcomes.
What this study adds
The Refugee Fathers Study explored the ways fathers of refugee background living in Australia experience risk and protective factors relating to their health and wellbeing during the early years of parenting.
This is one of the first studies to invite fathers of refugee backgrounds to talk about their experiences.
Fathers had a strong sense of responsibility to provide for their families. Language barriers could create challenges securing employment, accessing services, and forming friendships.
“Basically, as the father, I feel the pressure of… I need to make sure that we are financially okay.”
– Afghan father
Spending time with their children and seeing them grow brought fathers joy, pleasure, and strength.
“And sometimes, when you stressful, you worry, you come home and you play with the children, all the stress is gone. It’s like a medicine, you know? It works.”
– Afghan father
Fathers wanted to protect their children from their personal experiences of trauma as a refugee
“It's good not to share our trauma and hardship to the children because the children – grow up in this country, better grow in the future…although we have very painful experience, we better not show the children about our painful experience, only encourage the children for the better future and the more positive way for them.”
– Karen father
Where can I read more?
Risk and Protective Factors Experienced by Fathers of Refugee Background during the Early Years of Parenting: A Qualitative Study
Bulford E, Fogarty A, Giallo R, Brown S, Szwarc J, Riggs E. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022;19:6940.
The physical and mental health problems of refugee and migrant fathers: findings from an Australian population-based study of children and their families
Giallo R, Riggs E, Lynch C, Vanpraag D, Yelland J, Szwarc J et al. BMJ Open 2017;7:e015603.
