1. Objectifs

Intentions :
« In order to address such gaps in the literature, this study looks at how fathers of preschoolers in low-income areas think and talk about their role in socializing their children with regard to mental health. More specifically, its goal is to identify various profiles of fathers according to their role in fostering their children’s mental health. » (p. 264)

Questions/Hypothèses :
« The comparison between very involved fathers with strong feelings of competence and uninvolved fathers with weak feelings of competence may reveal differences in mental-health socialization. » (p. 265)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
« Thirty fathers from two-parent families with at least one child between the ages of three and five took part in the study. They were either biological fathers or father figures (having lived with the child for at least a year), all of them ethno-culturally French-speaking Quebeckers. » (p. 265)

Instruments :
- The Parenting Sense of Competence Scale (Gibaud-Wallston, 1977; we used the French version, translated and adapted by Bolté, 1994)
- The Montreal Father’s Involvement Questionnaire (MFIQ; Dufour, Bolté, Bégin, Paquette, & Bouchard, 1998)
- Interview protocol with 40 standardized, open-ended questions

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse de contenu et analyse statistique

3. Résumé

« Thirty inner-city fathers of preschoolers described how they see their role in promoting their children’s mental health. Fifteen were very involved fathers with a strong sense of competence, and 15 were uninvolved fathers with a weak sense of competence. Through qualitative analysis of the interviews, we developed a typology consisting of five profiles of fathers. The fathers had two contrasting concepts of their children’s mental health: one focused on fitting into society and meeting expectations, the other on expressing individuality and independence. The implications for promoting fathers’ involvement and working with fathers are explored. » (p. 263)