Recent research carried out on behalf of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Fatherhood has looked at the impact on fathers of divorce or separation from their partners.
The research, which was conducted by the Fatherhood Institute and Families Need Fathers, found that 11% of respondents became unemployed or took sick leave in the year before they separated, as did 22% in the year after the separation.
Over 60% reported that their mental health suffered after their separation, and 54% reported similar symptoms in the year before they separated. Just under half of respondents said their relationship with their children was negatively affected by their divorce.
Ken Sanderson, chief executive of Families Need Fathers, commented, “The results of this survey should be a wakeup call for employers and the Government that much more needs to be done to ensure fathers receive the support they need when family breakdown occurs. It is clear that many fathers require and seek out support, and that leaving them to ‘suffer in silence’ has not only a terrible human cost, but also places a heavy strain on their employers.”