American Psychological Association, Psychology of Men & Masculinities, 4(11), p. 262-278
DOI: 10.1037/a0020686
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Coparenting has emerged as a central family process and relationship. However, a coparenting role may be unfamiliar and uncomfortable to many fathers. This study focused on fathers' perceptions of coparental support to better understand factors that may help fathers adjust to a new and challenging parental role. A conceptual model of coparental support was developed and tested on a sample of 2,062 fathers from the national Fragile Families and Child Well-being study to determine what father and mother characteristics were associated with fathers' perceptions of coparental support. Multigroup comparisons of the model were made between married and nonmarried fathers. Results found the model to be a good fit for both married and nonmarried fathers. Father involvement and relationship quality were significant positive correlates of perceptions of coparental support for married fathers, but not for nonmarried fathers. Father mental health showed a negative relationship with perceptions of coparental support for married and nonmarried fathers. Family dynamics and paternal roles, which affect fathers' perceptions of support from the coparent, can be different based on marital status. Interventions aimed at increasing coparental support need to address depression and anxiety among fathers. Limitations and future directions of research on coparenting are also discussed.