Study finds higher vulnerability English-speaking fathers compared to French

A new study by the Community Health and Social Services Network (CHSSN) reveals that English-speaking fathers in Québec face higher vulnerability rates in the context of paternity versus French-speaking dads.

According to the study, one in five anglophone dads or 19 per cent show a higher psychological distress index than French-speaking fathers at 12 per cent.

“English-speaking men are and are faring worse off at significant levels,” said Anne-Marie Cech, program manager for Early Childhood, Youth and Families. “If we look at the data regarding suicidal ideation in the past year, it’s almost double the amount.”

Cech says there are two main factors that contribute to these elevated vulnerability rates among anglophone dads. The first is violence in childhood.

The survey found, roughly “61 per cent of English-speaking fathers experienced violence in their home environment in childhood,” Cech explained.

“If you’re looking more specifically at things like psychological abuse, severe physical abuse or sexual abuse, those are all higher among English-speaking men versus French-speaking men.”

The second of the main factors, is not enough services adapted to English-speaking fathers’ needs.

“There’s often a lack of information with regards to where I can get the services. Who do I reach out to? There’s also an awareness that those services are actually available in English.”

Out of the 2,119 Québec fathers surveyed for this study, 420 were from English-speaking communities and the results were a cause for concern.

“When we’re looking at and seeing a psychological someone for psychological well-being in those instances, it’s only 16 per cent of the fathers that went to get help” said Cech.

Cech recognizes that asking for help is not easy, but organizations like the CHSSN are there to improve services that are already available and provide the tools, resources and knowledge for fathers struggling mentally.

“Being able to create what we call in French, a line of trust so that you can accompany those men towards services,” said Cech. “A great partner of CHSSN is the Regroupement pour la Valorisation de la Paternite, and this organization advocates for the importance of offering services to men.”

Cech however does warn that stereotypes about the province’s English-speaking community can give off the wrong idea of struggling fathers.

“There are more stereotypes around the English-speaking community, being a community that’s well-off. that’s actually a very small portion of the population and it’s a lot more nuanced and there’s a lot more variability than we could imagine.

More on the CHSSN survey can be found here.