Among patients with severe mental illness attending a large, urban, outpati
ent mental health clinic, fathers are described and compared with nonfather
s and with mothers on demographic, clinical, and child-related characterist
ics and on resources and service needs. While fathers and nonfathers with m
ental illness differed significantly on most variables, fathers and mothers
with mental illness were remarkably similar except on child-related charac
teristics. Issues regarding fathers' experiences and service needs are disc
ussed.