CWLF Survey: A Depressed Father's Day? 43% Fathers Struggle, Most Avoid Seeking Help ::最新消息(英)::Child Welfare League Foundation

CWLF Survey: A Depressed Father's Day? 43% Fathers Struggle, Most Avoid Seeking Help

2025-08-25

Father’s Day is an opportunity to show appreciation for the hard work of fathers. Nevertheless, behind these words of gratitude, many fathers silently carry pressure and loneliness that they find difficult to express. As family roles have evolved, more fathers are actively involved in child-rearing. However, the gap between expectations and reality has left many men feeling overwhelmed by the demands of fatherhood.

To understand fathers’ mental health conditions and the challenges they face in child-rearing, the Child Welfare League Foundation (CWLF) conducted a survey targeting fathers across Taiwan with caregiving responsibilities [1]. In the recently published survey titled 2025 Fathers’Stress Conditions, 43.3% of fathers exhibited moderate or higher levels of depression on the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS), with 14.4% falling into the severe or extremely severe category. More than 10% of fathers reported feeling “worthless” or that their lives were “meaningless.” These results reveal that fathers carry a heavy mental burden due to their roles in both family and society, making it difficult for them to open up about their feelings. In addition to financial pressures, child-rearing duties, and work, many individuals are also responsible for caring for their elderly parents and their partners/spouses. Repeatedly, these situations challenge their physical and mental abilities to bear burdens. However, over 40% of fathers would not seek help during such a time. Despite the availability of government-funded free mental health services, an astonishing 96% of respondents reported that they had “never heard of or used these resources,” highlighting that the value of these resources is not acknowledged in practice. Under the situation of mental health problems and supporting resources cannot be distributed, CWLF calls on society to build stronger support networks for men and promote more child-rearing-friendly workplaces. Our goal is to support fathers in navigating the challenges of mental health and child-rearing.

When Pressure Builds Up: 43% of Fathers Show Moderate or Higher Levels of Depression

According to the survey, 43.3% of fathers scored at a moderate or higher level of depression on the DASS-21 [2]. This result indicates that fathers need to take symptoms of depression seriously and seek professional help. Among these respondents, 14.4% fell into the severe or extremely severe range, underscoring the urgent need for society to pay closer attention to fathers’ mental pressure. Further analysis discovers that 10% of fathers reported feeling “worthless” (10.8%) or lives felt meaningless (11.5%). These findings suggest that many fathers experience deep feelings of loneliness and helplessness beneath the expectations placed on them by both family and society.

[1] This survey was conducted from April 21^st to May 25^th, 2025, using an online questionnaire targeting fathers who have children under the age of 18 in Taiwan. A total of 547 people responded. Most of the targeting participants are aged between 30 to 39, and the percentage of these participants is 46.4% out of all participants. The second age group is aged between 40 to 49, and the percentage of these participants is 43.5%. Regarding the number of children, 49.5% have only a child, 42.4% have two children and 8.0% have more than three children. As for the age of children. 74.0% are aged between 0 to 6, 32.9% are aged between 7 to 12 and 12.2% are aged between 13 to 18.

[2] The full name of DASS21 is Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21. This scale is further divided into three sub-scale: Depression, Anxiety and Pressure, and every sub-scale includes 7 questions. For this survey, we only adopted the Depression subscale. The scoring criteria is based on the suggestion on the scoring manual. For each question, the scoring of 0 to 3 is based on different degrees of depression. The total score is the result of the final score multiply by 2. For the degree of depression, scoring from 0 to 9 is normal, 10 to 13 means mild level of depression, 14 to 20 indicates moderate level of depression, 21 to 27 represents severe level of depression and the score over 28 shows extreme severe level of depression. DASS-21 is for mental evaluation rather than clinical analysis. If the result shows moderate to severe levels of depression, it means the individual suffers from obvious mental distress. The recommendation is to seek professional assistance.

The survey shows that when fathers face pressure from all directions, financial problems (72.6%) and child-rearing issues (55%) are the main sources. These are followed by work-related stress (53.0%), household responsibilities (41.7%), and communication in intimate relationships (40.4%). In addition, 20% of fathers are identified as “Sandwich Dads,” meaning they are responsible for caring for their ageing parents and their children (20.8%). This double caregiving duty creates a continuous chain of stress that weighs heavily on their mental and physical well-being. Notably, 65.8% of fathers reported that their burden becomes heavier after the birth of their children, which shows that the mental load fathers carry is a serious issue that society should no longer overlook.

Income Alone is Not Enough to Support a Family; 80% of Fathers Said They are Financially Limited

Child-rearing expenses are placing increasing pressure on many fathers. According to the survey, nearly 80% of fathers expressed their difficulties in covering daily expenses due to a significant rise in family costs. Among these respondents, 59.6% expressed said their financial situation was “a little difficult,” while 19.3% pointed out that they “often lack money and some are unable to manage expenses.”

Further analysis reveals that fathers with moderate or higher levels of depression on DASS-21, 27.8% reported that they “often lack money and are unable to manage expenses.” In comparison, 12.9% of fathers whose mental health was rated as normal or mild level of depression reported the same. This result suggests a clear correlation between financial pressure and mental distress.

In addition to the pressure caused by family expenses, unstable economic climates have become a source of anxiety for many fathers. Since the beginning of this year, frequent changes in the global market, rising unstable inflation, and shifting tariff policies have further intensified the financial strain on families. According to the survey, 23.2% of fathers said their jobs, incomes, or investments have already been affected by these incidents. Meanwhile, 60.1% reported that although they have not yet been directly impacted, they still feel worried about the situation. This finding suggests that economic pressure not only affects living conditions but also contributes significantly to stress among fathers.

Although Many Fathers are Under Pressure, 40% Say They Keep It to Themselves Rather Than Speak Up

Due to traditional gender role expectations, the belief that “men don’t easily shed tears” has been deeply internalized by many men. Based on the survey result, 46.9% of fathers believe that expressing negative emotions makes them appear weak. Such a mindset influences how fathers seek support when dealing with emotional struggles. The survey shows that 78% of fathers choose to cope by turning to entertainment or exercise. Nearly 60% will ask for emotional support (59.6%), while 41.8% prefer to carry the burden on their own without asking for help. Notably, among fathers whose DASS-21 scores indicate moderate or higher levels of depression, 55.7% do not ask for help. This result suggests that the greater the emotional burden, the more likely fathers are to shut down emotionally and avoid reaching out.

However, the inability of fathers to express or process their emotions may negatively impact their interactions with their children. Among respondents exhibiting moderate or higher levels of depression, one in three reported either neglecting their children’s needs (34.1%) or raising their voices at them (34.7%). These rates are markedly higher than those observed among fathers with better mental conditions (10.7% and 13.7%). Furthermore, when their children encounter difficulties, fathers who exhibit moderate or higher levels of depression offer advice and support to their children is relatively and explicitly low (74.9% vs. 90%). These findings highlight that mental distress not only compromises fathers’ well-being, but may also impair the emotional development of their children and the overall quality of family relationships.

Fathers are More Willing to Share in Child-Rearing but Workplace Support Still Falls Short

In addition to taking on financial responsibilities, more and more fathers are actively involved in their children’s daily lives as social roles continue to shift. According to the survey, 27.6% of fathers have applied for parental leave, a noticeable increase compared to 2020. Also, over 40% of fathers reported sharing child-rearing responsibility equally with mothers. Whether it’s providing care, offering emotional support, or setting rules, fathers are no longer absent from parenting.

However, when children need care, can fathers truly take leave and be there for them with peace of mind? The survey indicates that nearly 30% of fathers (29.3%) feel pressured by both work and family responsibilities. Many even face a paradox: “policies exist, but are difficult to access; leave is available, but few are willing or able to take it.” Although the government’s childcare policies are becoming more comprehensive, actual usage remains low. Each benefit has a low usage rate of around 20%, including family care leave (21.2%), parental leave payments (21.2%), and childcare allowances (20%). For flexible working hours, the figure is even lower, with only 10.3% having made use of this benefit.

However, the low usage of these benefits does not mean they are unnecessary. Rather, many fathers reported that they “cannot make use of the benefits or are afraid to do so.”42.4% of fathers said they are unable to take leave due to financial pressure, 40.2% worry it might affect their chances for promotion, and 19.5% are concerned about the difficulty of returning to work afterward. Many also feel anxious about how others will perceive them if they take leave. When the policy becomes a mere formality, fathers are caught between their caregiving responsibilities and the pressure that taking leave could lead to being blacklisted or marginalized at work.

The Government Has the Resources, Yet Many Fathers are Unaware of Their Existence and are Unable to Use Them

To support the mental health of individuals aged 15 to 45, the Ministry of Health and Welfare launched the Mental Health Support System in 2024, offering three free counseling sessions. However, the survey reveals that nearly 70% of fathers are unaware of this resource (68.7%), 27.1% know about it but have never used it, and only 4.2% have taken advantage of it.

Even when they have a need, many fathers choose not to use available mental health resources. 70% of fathers said that “not having enough time” was their main barrier (71.9%). Additionally, 21.1% felt the process was too complicated, 17.5% were worried about being labeled, and 8.8% said the counseling center was too far away, or 7.5% felt the service was insufficient. Among fathers who scored in the category of moderate or higher levels of depression on the DASS-21, 64.6% believed “they did not need the resources,” suggesting that even when support is available, it often feels disconnected from fathers’ daily lives.

To Prevent Fathers from Struggling Alone, CWLF Issues Two Key Calls to Action

When pressure becomes overwhelming, the likelihood of speaking up diminishes. Fathers’ hard work often goes unnoticed, and this can even affect the atmosphere of the entire family. To address the mental health challenges and caregiving burdens that fathers face, we put forward two key appeals:

By Building a Support Network for Men’s Mental Health, Fathers Can Become More Willing to Speak Up and Feel Heard by Others
There are 43% of fathers show moderate or higher levels of depression, yet more than half do not ask for help. This is not merely a personal issue, but a reflection of society’s broader neglect of men’s mental health. Fathers face greater limitations when expressing emotions and reaching out for help than women.

Therefore, CWLF urges the government to recognize that mental health resources must be more than just a formality. It is essential to ensure that fathers can access these services easily, make use of them when needed, and feel safe to speak up. When promoting mental health policies, the government must recognize the distinct circumstances of fathers and actively develop services that are directly relevant to their daily lives. Examples include raising awareness of existing options, such as after-hours counseling and mental health hotlines, and streamlining application processes to reduce barriers to use. Such efforts are crucial to integrating support into fathers’ everyday lives and their hearts.

Let the Workplace Be a Support for Childcare, Not a Source of Pressure
More and more fathers are willing to take on childcare responsibilities and share household duties with their partners. However, in practice, financial pressures and unsupportive workplace culture often make it difficult for fathers to fully embrace these roles with confidence. Fathers often view applying for paternity or family care leave as a career risk. They are concerned that taking advantage of these benefits may lead to missed promotion opportunities, discrimination, and increased pressure at work.

It is worth noticing that the South Korean government has introduced a range of father-friendly policies in its declining fertility rate [3]. These initiatives include extended paternity leave and increased financial allowances for parents who take full-time parental leave. The goal is to encourage greater paternal involvement in childcare and to promote stronger workplace support for fathers. CWLF urges the government to look to international examples when developing family-friendly policies. By re-evaluating corporate performance assessment systems and design for flexible working hours, and actively supporting men to take paternity leave and providing practical support strategies, the government can help fathers ensure that they are no longer marginalized in the workplace due to their caregiving responsibilities. With this support, fathers will be more capable of sharing child-rearing responsibilities and accompanying their children as they grow.
[3] Source：https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/breakingnews/4722062

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