Addressing the Subjective Well-Being of Incarcerated Fathers: The Role of Fatherhood Education

Fatherhood education is designed to promote positive father involvement, but research is lacking on whether such programs have an impact on the subjective well-being of incarcerated participants. Through the application of Andersen’s Behavioral Model, this study examines incarcerated fathers’ social support systems and mental health issues. After program completion, participants reported significantly higher levels of perceived social support and lower levels of depression and anxiety, suggesting that fatherhood education may help improve the subjective well-being of incarcerated fathers. Further analyses explored the extent to which predisposing, enabling, and mental health factors were related to participants’ social support, depression, and anxiety postprogram. The results revealed characteristics of participants who might be best served by postprogram interventions that focus on the subjective well-being domains of social support and mental health while illustrating the reciprocal associations between social support and self-reported depression among incarcerated fathers.