Effects of father's employment induced absence on family function where a child is referred to psychiatric services for challenging behaviour

Family functioning was measured and compared between two groups of families attending Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Services. One group consisted of families in which father was compelled to be absent from the home for periods because of his occupation and the other represented families where he was not required to be absent. The divorce literature would suggest that father's prolonged absence would increase strain on the remaining partner and lead to less cohesive family function resulting in higher levels of distress in the child. Using the Family Assessment device and the Marital Adjustment Scale, it was established that the families where father worked away for periods appeared to have lower levels of dysfunction in areas including marital satisfaction, role definition and overall family function. Both partners in the away group appeared to have more secure attachment styles which supported a higher level of independence and self esteem, although there was evidence that fathers were less integrated into the family structure. It would appear that in the away group, father's success in his role as breadwinner was significant in the success of the marital dyad for both partners but not simply as a function of increased income. The heightened role clarity in this group appeared to meet the needs of both partners despite the absence it creates. It was unclear from the data whether the alternative structure had gradually developed through systemic process or had been instigated initially as a chosen structure, although in most cases the arrangements pre dated or coincided with marriage