Research

Paternal Depression and Well-Being in New Fathers

Dr. Bamishigbin's primary research area explores the relationship between stress, resilience, and health in new fathers. Fathers are important members of the family unit. However, the fields of maternal and child health and family research have historically focused on children and mothers, leaving fathers out. This is especially true for fathers from underrepresented backgrounds such as Black and low-income fathers. His research aims to fill this gap by exploring paternal depression in new, low-income, Black fathers and it's associations with important biopsychosocial outcomes for children, mothers, and fathers themselves. He is a member of the Community Child Health Network (CCHN), a National Institute of Child Health and Development funded-study dedicated to understanding the role of stress and resilience in birth outcomes for mothers.

Publications:

Bamishigbin Jr, O. N., Wilson, D. K., Abshire, D. A., Mejia-Lancheros, C., & Dunkel Schetter, C. (2020). Father Involvement in Infant Parenting in an Ethnically Diverse Community Sample: Predicting Paternal Depressive Symptoms. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 11, 957.

Bamishigbin, O. N., Dunkel Schetter, C., Guardino, C. M., Stanton, A. L., Schafer, P., Shalowitz, M., ... & Raju, T. (2017). Risk, resilience, and depressive symptoms in low-income African American fathers. Cultural diversity and ethnic minority psychology, 23(1), 70.

Cooper, S.M., Thomas, A. & Bamishigbin, O. (2021). Black American Fathers Employed in High-Risk Contexts for Contracting COVID-19: Implications for Individual Wellbeing and Work-Family Spillover. American Journal of Men’s Health.

Wilson, D., Bamishigbin, O., Guardino, C., & Dunkel Schetter, C. (2021). Resilience in Low-Income African American, Latino and White Fathers. Social Science & Medicine.

Resilience and Depression in Cancer Survivors

Cancer is very common, with estimates showing that at some point in their lives, approximately 39% of men and women will be diagnosed with this disease. Cancer can be a debilitating illness causing high amounts of stress and elevated levels of depression in people who suffer from it. As such, it is vital that researchers study different factors that may help people with cancer adjust. Specifically, Dr. Bamishigbin investigates the role of resilience resources, such as religion and spiritualty, in individuals with cancer with an emphasis on Black and Latino populations, who are historically underrepresented and understudied in this area.

Publications in this area:

Bamishigbin Jr, O. N., Stein, K. D., Leach, C. R., & Stanton, A. L. (2020). Spirituality and depressive symptoms in a multiethnic sample of cancer survivors. Health Psychology, 39(7), 589.

Adolescent Fatherhood

Dr. Bamishigbin completed the first systematic review aimed at understanding the factors that precede a teenage boy becoming an adolescent father and the outcomes of adolescent fatherhood for the father, the child, and the mother. The primary findings were that boys who were Black or Latino and came from low-income backgrounds were significantly more likely to become teenage fathers in comparison to white and middle or high income teens. These findings have implications for identifying the teens at risk for teenage fatherhood and better ways to support those who do become adolescent fathers.

Publications in this area:

Bamishigbin Jr, O. N., Schetter, C. D., & Stanton, A. L. (2019). The antecedents and consequences of adolescent fatherhood: A systematic review. Social Science & Medicine, 232, 106-119.

ONGOING RESEARCH PROJECTS

Ghosting in Relationships Study

Dr. Bamishigbin, along with Dr. Karen Wu of California State University, Los Angeles, is completing a qualitative research study on the phenomena of ghosting in relationships and how they impact people.

College Experience Study

Dr. Bamishigbin, along with Dr. Jahneille Cunningham of the University of California, Los Angeles, is completing

a survey on stress, resilience, and health in a large and racially/ethnically diverse sample of college students
a qualitative study on the experience of college students who are also parents