Sweden leads the way in shared parenting

Percentage of children with separated parents in shared care

As the above graph shows, Sweden currently leads the way in shared care. As it is also a country that systematically collects data on the public health of the whole population, it is becoming possible to assess how children and young people are affected by shared parenting.

Dr Malin Bergstrom from the Swedish Centre for Health Equity Studies (CHESS) presented results from a study on the mental health and life quality of children in a shared parenting arrangement.

She explained that shared parenting levels are so high in Sweden because fathers are more involved from birth – she reported hearing a father say “we gave birth” when talking to the midwife. Shared parenting has grown from 18% to 38% between 1984 and 2011, helped by a change in family law in 1998, but the law alone is not sufficient – public opinions and attitudes have changed to support it.

In a whole population study of 11-15 year old children, children in shared parenting showed lower levels of truanting (19%) than those in sole care of mothers (22%) or fathers (28%) and only slightly above children living with both parents (18%). Many other indicators of mental health and well-being show similar results.  

These Swedish findings are comparable to the recent Growing Up in Scotland study, in which seven-year old children not in regular contact with their father were more than twice as those who have regular contact with their father to show behavioural and emotional difficulties (36% vs 15%, figure 3.2 on page 18).

0 likes