“It's Just the Love and the Care, That's What Makes Things Work”: Fathers With Learning Disabilities' Experiences of the Attachment Relationship With Their Children

Abstract

Background: People with learning disabilities may be at a higher risk of attachment difficulties than the general population. Fathers are underrepresented in the literature on parents with learning disabilities. This study aimed to gather an in-depth understanding of fathers with learning disabilities' perceptions of developing an attachment with their children. Methods: Eleven fathers who self-identified as having a learning disability were recruited via self-advocacy groups across the United Kingdom and their experiences were explored through semi-structured interviews. Findings: Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis produced three key themes: (1) “It's just the love…and the care, that's what makes things work”; (2) “Time is, it is precious”; (3) Challenges to and benefits from the father-child relationship. Conclusions: Fathers described behaviours mirroring attachment theory, with the findings suggesting a need for early inclusion of fathers in childcare to facilitate a secure father-child relationship. The results reveal the need for more research on attachment styles in fathers with learning disabilities to help develop better attachment-focused interventions tailored to them.