Fatherhood from the perspective of fathers of children with disabilities: a systematic review

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26823/vzvw2y28

Keywords:

Fatherhood, Childhood disability, Meaning of life

Abstract

This study aims to understand how fatherhood is constructed and experienced by fathers of children with disabilities. It is a systematic review, grounded in the PRISMA method, in which empirical studies published between 2020 and 2026 were analyzed using the PubMed and Google Scholar databases, resulting in eight articles included in the qualitative synthesis. The findings were analyzed in light of Viktor Frankl’s Logotherapy. The results revealed that the paternal experience is multifaceted, involving active participation in caregiving, although in a heterogeneous manner and mediated by contextual factors such as work demands, cultural norms, and family dynamics. It is concluded that fatherhood is configured as a dynamic process that articulates suffering, responsibility, and the possibility of meaning.

Author Biographies

  • Áquila Negrini da Silva, Universidade Metodista de São Paulo

    Master's student in Health Psychology at UMESP (Methodist University of São Paulo), developing the research "From the ideal to the real: (Re)thinking the Mental Health of Women/Mothers of People with Physical Disabilities". Postgraduate student in Psychological Assessment and Psychodiagnosis at Faculdade Líbano. Graduated in Psychology from Faculdade Pitágoras - Matriz (2021). Postgraduate in Organizational and Work Psychology from Faculdade Faveni. Specialist in Traffic Psychology by CRP. Has experience in the area of ​​Organizational Psychology, in addition to professional work in the context of Clinical Psychology and Traffic Psychology. Member of the ad-hoc committee responsible for the technical publication on Public Policies, Psychology and Mobility and Traffic.

  • Daniel Lisboa Soares, Universidade Metodista de São Paulo

    Master's degree in Health Psychology (UMESP - Methodist University - 2025). Specialization in Gestalt Therapy (SEDES SAPIENTIAE - 2007), Specialization in Organizational Psychology and People Management (Ibirapuera University - 2011), Specialization in Logotherapy and Existential Analysis (Freedom Institute - 2023). Specialization in Behavioral Nutrition (Faculdade de Ensino Superior Limitada - 2025). Bachelor's and Licentiate degrees in Psychology (Faculdades de Guarulhos - SP - 2001). Experience as a Psychotherapist, Clinical Supervisor, and Lecturer in undergraduate and postgraduate courses (UNIB, FMU, UNICSUL).

  • Valquíria Aparecida Rossi, Universidade Metodista de São Paulo

    She holds a degree in Psychology from the Methodist University of São Paulo (1989), a master's degree in HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY from the Methodist University of São Paulo (2005), and a doctorate in Health Psychology from the Methodist University of São Paulo (2019). Currently, she is a professor, supervisor, and coordinator of the Psychology course at the Methodist University of São Paulo, and a faculty member of the Stricto Sensu Postgraduate Program in Health Psychology. She served as director of the Planalto Campus of the Methodist University (2020 to 2022) and as coordinator of the Lato Sensu course in Strategic People Management and Organizational Psychology (distance learning) (Aug/2013 to Jun/2023). She has been teaching for 20 years in the areas of Organizational and Work Psychology, Worker Mental Health, Psychodynamics of Work, Strategic People Management, Entrepreneurship, and Health. She is a researcher in the areas of Organizational and Work Psychology and Positive Psychology, focusing on the following themes: well-being at work, subjective well-being, leadership development, social and organizational support, organizational justice, involvement, engagement, job satisfaction, and commitment. She has over 20 years of experience as a consultant in the areas of People Management, Organizational and Work Psychology, and Human Resources. She has worked in large and medium-sized companies in the public and private sectors in Human Resources areas, with emphasis on the subsystems of Recruitment and Selection, Training, Development and Corporate Education, and Occupational Health.

  • Cristiano de Jesus Andrade, Universidade Metodista de São Paulo

    Holds a PhD (2022) and Master's degree (2018) in Health Psychology from the Methodist University of São Paulo - UMESP. Postgraduate degree (2016) in Operationalized Brief Psychotherapy from Paulista University - UNIP. Graduated (2012) in Psychology from UNIFAE. Works as a professor in undergraduate health courses at the University Center of the Associated Faculties of Education of São João da Boa Vista/SP. Permanent professor in the PPG in Health Psychology (Master's and Doctoral levels) at the Methodist University of São Paulo. Also works as the editor-in-chief of the journal Mudanças: Psicologia da Saúde. Member of the CFP (Federal Council of Psychology) for the 2025-2028 term. Has experience in Health and Organizational Psychology. Conducting research from an intersectional perspective, with an interest in understanding: the implications of work-life balance, diversity in the world of work, practices that promote mental health in institutional contexts, mental health at work, and gender issues in the workplace.

References

Andrade, Cristiano de Jesus, Praun, Luci Dovál, & Benincasa, Miria. (2018). O cuidado dos filhos sob a responsabilidade paterna: mudanças de paradigmas nas relações familiares. O cuidado paterno frente as reconfigurações familiares. Vínculo, 15(2), 27-41. https://doi.org/3c79c4f3165443f374c-335b

Davies, A. (2024). Fathers’ relationships with their disabled children: A review of the literature. Disability Studies Quarterly, 44(1). https://doi.org/10.18061/dsq.v44i1.296

Frankl, V. E. (2011). A vontade de sentido: Fundamentos e aplicações da logoterapia. Paulus.

Frankl, Viktor E. O sofrimento de uma vida sem sentido. Tradução de Elsa N. de Oliveira. Petrópolis: Vozes, 1990.

Galvão, T.F., e Pansani, T.S.A. (2015). Revisões sistemáticas e Meta-análises: A recomendação PRISMA. Epidemiologia e Serviços de Saúde, 24(2), 335-342.

Kypriotaki, M., Charitaki, G., Marinakis, G., Markodimitraki, M., Kalesiou, M., & Manolitsis, G. (2025). The impact of marital satisfaction, children’s disability, and family characteristics on father involvement. Hellenic Journal of Psychology, 22, 245–265. https://doi.org/10.26262/hjp.v22i2.10277

Langley, E. (2025). Father involvement in the lives of their children with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the UK. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 38, e70091. https://doi.org/10.1111/jar.70091

Langley, E., Totsika, V., & Hastings, R. P. (2020). Psychological well-being of fathers with and without a child with intellectual disability: A population-based study. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 64(6), 399–413. https://doi.org/10.1111/jir.12692

Madzimbe, P., Dambi, J., Corten, L., & Maart, S. (2025). Involvement of fathers and siblings in home rehabilitation programmes of children with neuro-developmental delay: Insights from rehabilitation professionals in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Child: Care, Health and Development, 51, e70060. https://doi.org/10.1111/cch.70060

Mohamed, A., Opoku, M. P., Almarzooqi, S., J-F, & Shah, H. (2024). Nationwide study of fathers’ involvement in the rehabilitation of children with disabilities in the United Arab Emirates. Heliyon, 10, e30980. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e30980

Rudelli, N., Straccia, C., & Petitpierre, G. (2021). Fathers of children with autism spectrum disorder: Their perceptions of paternal role a predictor of caregiving satisfaction, self-efficacy and burden. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 83, 101744. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2021.101744

Tay, J., Rapoport, A., Crawley, J., Ta, J., & Kichler, J. C. (2026). “Rolling the Boulder Up the Hill”: A qualitative study of parents’ experiences providing ongoing care at home for their child with complex medical needs. Canadian Journal of Nursing Research, 58(1), 18–29. https://doi.org/10.1177/08445621251380909

Uribe-Morales, B. M., Cantero-Garlito, P. A., & Cipriano-Crespo, C. (2022). Fathers in the care of children with disabilities: An exploratory qualitative study. Healthcare, 10(1), 14. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare10010014

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Published

2026-11-11

Issue

Vol. 18 No. 01 (2026): Opening to Experiment and Learn

Section

Estudos de Revisão

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Copyright (c) 2026 Revista NUFEN: Phenomenology and Interdisciplinarity

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How to Cite

Fatherhood from the perspective of fathers of children with disabilities: a systematic review. (2026). Revista NUFEN: Phenomenology and Interdisciplinarity, 18(01), 1-21. https://doi.org/10.26823/vzvw2y28