Bill Woods speaks with Psychiatrist and social commentator Dr. Tanveer Ahmed about ‘Fatherlessness’, which may be the most important demographic trend of the times.   Close to half of all Australian children live in a household without their biological father.

Fatherlessness is a contributor to growth in mental health disorders associated with the lack of strong boundaries and a strong male role model.

ADHD diagnoses is a case in point. Every feature of social inequity from crime to academic achievement is worsened by a lack of father.

Multiple studies have found that fatherlessness is a bigger contributor to poverty than unemployment.

“The yearning for authoritarian political leaders is closely tied to a greater “father hunger” within our culture,” says Dr Ahmed.

“It’s right that we do more to help women achieve equality in the workplace, but this is much more likely if we acknowledge the critical role of fathers in the home.”

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