The following is an abstract from Helen McKeering's paper on health issues faced by separated men which is published here with her kind premission.

Mental health disorders are highest among adults who are separated and divorced, with 23% of men in this group reporting a mental illness. Separated men are more likely to commit suicide compared with married men. In Australia, there are over 53,100 divorces per annum, involving almost 50,000 children. To date, little research has been conducted on the mental health of separated men who are fathers. ... read more >>

50% of all marriages fail and it is higher for the second marriage and so on, with that in mind is Separation and Divorce considered normal?

My mother left the family home when I was just 7, it was still the 70s and divorce wasn't yet that common, my friends still had an intact family. My brother and I were brought up by our father, we had no idea anymore of what was normal. All you know is that you don't see one of your parents as often as you would like.

12 years later I am separated from my first wife, with 3 babies. Is this me keeping the cycle of broken families alive? ... read more >>

My children were removed from my care when my youngest was just a baby; it was 10 months before I could see my 3 young children. For me gaining access wasn't automatic I had to earn it and push for it, I didn't get much, 1 1/2 hours every fortnight which was then reduced to once a month because it was difficult for the children's mother to keep bringing the children to the centre.

I kept asking "when can I see my children?" and "what do I need to do now?" and I kept it up, never giving up, and my reward was the same 1 1/2 hours with my children once a month for 5 years. The best 1 1/2 hours of my month, I looked forward to it every time, I thought nothing of the time in between, it was time I needed to do what ever was needed for me to do to move forward and to show I was not going to walk away from my children. ... read more >>

I was a young father, I guess when you consider the ages of my 3 children I will always be a young father, but as much as I hate to say it I was too immature to bring up my 3 children, as much as I loved them and worked hard to house, clothe and feed them it wasn't enough.

I was a terrible husband to my first wife; we fought all the time about how we should bring up our children, we would scream, yell and slam doors, worst of all in front of our little babies. Then in 1996 I went to ARMY basic training, which lasted about a month or more and it was hell, but what got me through was the phone calls and letters I would get from my family and the thought that I will have my babies in my arms soon. Then it was finally over and it was time to go home, I was so proud of becoming solider and looking forward to holding my babies, but it wasn't to be, I came home to an empty house, CYF had uplifted my babies and their mother the day before. ... read more >>