Supporting At-Risk Fathers: Examining Multilevel Forms of Social Support for Fathers with Substance Misuse Across the Transition to Parenthood
The transition to parenthood involves substantial psychological, relational, and biological change. Although research has historically focused more heavily on mothers, fathers also experience shifts in identity, intimate relationships, social networks, and caregiving responsibilities as they prepare for and adjust to a new child. For fathers who misuse alcohol and cannabis, these changes may occur alongside additional stressors with implications for their own well-being and their emerging relationships as parents.
In the MRI-supported project Supporting At-Risk Fathers: Examining Multilevel Forms of Social Support for Fathers With Substance Misuse Across the Transition to Parenthood, Dr. Kristin Perry (University of Oregon) examines whether social support can serve as a protective resource for fathers during this developmental transition. Taking a strengths-based, systemic perspective, the project considers support not as a single resource or relationship, but as a network of interpersonal, community, and institutional connections surrounding fathers and their families.
Existing research suggests that fathers often rely heavily on romantic partners for support during the transition to parenthood. Less is known about the roles of friends, extended family, healthcare providers, peer recovery communities, workplaces, neighborhoods, and social service systems. Importantly, these relationships may not be uniformly protective. Some social networks may provide belonging and practical assistance while simultaneously reinforcing substance use, whereas others may support behavioral change, reduce isolation, or strengthen fathers’ confidence in their developing parental roles.
The project uses a mixed-methods design to examine these processes. The research team will conduct virtual interviews with 20 first-time fathers within four months of their child’s birth who frequently use cannabis and also consume alcohol. Questionnaires and semi-structured interviews will explore fathers’ experiences of emotional, informational, instrumental, and appraisal support and how these different forms of support relate to substance use, psychological well-being, work, parenting, and intimate relationships.
Rather than relying exclusively on existing definitions of social support, this qualitative phase allows fathers themselves to identify which relationships and resources they experience as helpful, unhelpful, or absent. Findings will be used to refine the measures employed in the project’s longitudinal phase, linking participants’ lived experiences with subsequent quantitative assessment.
The second study will follow 40 fathers from pregnancy through the first nine months following birth. Half will be fathers who use cannabis daily or nearly every day and also consume alcohol; the comparison group will include fathers who consume alcohol but do not use cannabis. Participants will complete assessments during their partner’s pregnancy and again nine months postpartum.
The study integrates psychological, relational, and biological measures. Assessments will examine substance use, perceived social support, mental health, relationship functioning, parenting stress, paternal involvement, and father–child relationship quality. Biological indicators related to stress and the transition to parenting will provide an additional level of analysis.
A central question is whether stronger social support moderates associations between substance misuse and fathers’ psychological, relational, and physiological outcomes. The study will also examine whether particular sources or combinations of support are especially protective, recognizing that emotional support from family, practical assistance from community resources, and guidance from healthcare providers may serve different functions.
By examining fathers within multiple interconnected relational systems, this project moves beyond an individual model of substance use and adjustment to parenthood. It recognizes that fathers’ experiences are shaped by interactions with partners, children, families, peers, providers, and communities—and that these relationships may function as sources of both risk and resilience.
Findings may help inform prevention and intervention approaches that build on fathers’ existing relational resources while identifying areas where additional support is needed. More broadly, the project contributes to a systemic understanding of the transition to fatherhood, examining how the networks surrounding fathers may influence their well-being, their intimate relationships, and their developing relationships with their children.