#Fathers

Groundbreaking research from Taiwan has unveiled a shocking mental health crisis affecting fathers across East Asia, with over 43% of fathers with children under 18 displaying significant depression symptoms, providing critical insights for Thailand’s own overlooked paternal mental health challenges. This comprehensive survey, conducted by Taiwan’s Child Welfare League Foundation, reveals alarming patterns of economic stress, emotional isolation, and untreated depression among fathers that mirror emerging concerns throughout Southeast Asia, including Thailand where traditional expectations of paternal strength and silence may mask widespread mental health struggles affecting entire family systems.

A recent survey by Taiwan’s Child Welfare League Foundation has uncovered that over 43% of Taiwanese fathers with children under 18 show signs of depression, a figure described by local experts as “staggeringly high.” With economic stress emerging as the chief culprit, the findings are sparking urgent conversations not only in Taiwan, but also throughout Asia where paternal mental health is often overlooked—including in Thailand, which faces similar social and economic pressures on young families.

A growing body of psychological research warns that a father’s unchecked anger can leave enduring wounds in the hearts and minds of his children, with consequences that often remain invisible well into adulthood. According to a recent article by the Times of India Lifestyle Desk, paternal anger is not simply an occasional outburst but can evolve into what experts now call a “silent wound,” shaping a child’s self-image, ability to trust, and emotional health for life (Times of India).

In Sweden, a new archetype of masculinity is turning heads from Bangkok to New York: the “latte dad.” Sporting baby carriers and sipping cappuccinos at city cafes, these modern fathers devote generous government-paid time off to hands-on parenting, challenging gender norms and inspiring global curiosity. American mothers, facing the stark realities of a two-week maternity leave, are expressing envy at this Swedish phenomenon where fathers spend upward of a year at home with their newborns, strolling through city parks as beacons of positive masculinity and family engagement (New York Post).

The notion that fathers “babysit” when caring for their own children has come under renewed scrutiny, as new research highlights the detrimental effects of gendered parenting roles on both caregivers and their children. A recent article by Dr. Kate Balestrieri stresses that calling a father’s involvement “babysitting” is not merely an innocent slip of the tongue, but a reflection of deep-seated inequities in emotional and domestic responsibilities within households. This issue resonates widely, with significant implications for Thai society as evolving gender norms intersect with longstanding cultural expectations.