New American research has confirmed that children do better when their fathers get more involved in their lives, the Mercury News of southern California reported.

Sixty low- and middle-income families took part in the three-year study commissioned by California’s Office of Child Abuse Prevention. According to a news release, researchers found that when moms and dads took part in a 16-week parenting course together, “their children were much less likely to show signs of depression, anxiety and hyperactivity.”

“The vast majority of family services – from parenting classes to home visits – are really aimed at mothers, while fathers are almost completely overlooked,” said Dr. Kyle Pruett, a clinical professor of psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine and a co-author of the study. “The research is clear that the best way to create a healthy environment for children is to engage dads and moms together.”

The study, entitled Supporting Family Involvement, also found men’s involvement rose significantly as they were given the proper tools to be more effective fathers, and that the relationship between husbands and wives who took the course together became healthier and more stable.

Erika Nell of Santa Cruz took the course with her husband, Elmer. She believes it gave him the added confidence he needed to deal with the more challenging aspects of raising their four-year-old daughter, including discipline issues.

“The classes helped him feel more confident to handle everything, not just the fun part,” she told the Mercury News. “He’s been more willing to step in and do the day-to-day chores. . . . And we really worked on communication between parents, which by default translates to the kids.”

“This and other research shows it’s very important [for children] to have a positive male role model,” said Deutron Kebebew, project director at the Santa Cruz Community Counseling Center.

The study is published in August issue of the Journal of Marriage and Family.