IMMH S1E11: Anthony Isacco: Why father involvement matters for both dads and families

Dr. Anthony Isacco is Professor, Program Director, & Training Director in the Graduate Psychology Program at Chatham University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He has co-authored such books as the Handbook of the Psychology of Fatherhood; Religion, Spirituality, and Masculinity: New Insights for Counselors; and All In: Breaking Barriers to Discerning the Priesthood. Anthony discussed his initial interest in the field was the research demonstrating men’s lower rates of help seeking. He described being intrigued by the “white whale” that was described in this work: the men who did not seek out help for their various mental health and medical problems. Anthony later engaged in a clinical placement with a pediatrician which allowed him to become involved in research on fathers’ involvement with their children’s healthcare. They found that dads from many backgrounds were actually much more engaged than many people expected. His later work included helping define father involvement and the effects of father involvement on outcomes for both dads and families. We discussed the nature of father involvement and specific details regarding the benefits of father involvement for dads as well as their families.    

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