Assessing the effects of an education program on mental health problems in separated parents

Parental separation is a stressful experience that can lead to parents suffering mental health problems (MHPs). Parental separation education programs for coping with post-separation adjustment have proven to be effective in reducing conflict and improving co-parenting. However, the effects of these...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psicothema 2019-08, Vol.31 (3), p.284-291
Main Authors: Novo, Mercedes, Fariña, Francisca, Seijo, Dolores, Vázquez, María J, Arce, Ramón
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptation, Psychological
Adult
Child
Child Custody - statistics & numerical data
Female
Humans
Male
Marital Status
Mental Disorders - diagnosis
Mental Disorders - prevention & control
Mental Disorders - psychology
Mental health
Mental Health - education
Middle Aged
Parents & parenting
Parents - education
Parents - psychology
Program Evaluation
Sex Factors
Stress, Psychological - diagnosis
Stress, Psychological - prevention & control
Stress, Psychological - psychology
Young Adult
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Parental separation is a stressful experience that can lead to parents suffering mental health problems (MHPs). Parental separation education programs for coping with post-separation adjustment have proven to be effective in reducing conflict and improving co-parenting. However, the effects of these programs on MHPs have not been assessed. A field study was carried out to assess the impact of a parental separation education program on parental MHPs. A total of 116 separated parents who completed the program "Parental separation, not family breakdown" completed the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) pre- and post-intervention. Separated parents had significantly higher pre-intervention scores on the nine symptom dimensions and the global indexes of distress in comparison to the normative population. The intervention yielded a significant improvement (i.e., reduction of clinical symptoms) in all MHPs, ranging from 19% in phobic anxiety to 36% in depression and general anxiety; and in the global indexes of distress (36% in the global severity index; 28% in the positive symptom distress index; and 33% in the positive symptom total). Approximately 45% of parents significantly improved through the intervention. The implications of the outcomes of the separation and intervention in parents' MHPs and children wellbeing are discussed.
ISSN:0214-9915
1886-144X
DOI:10.7334/psicothema2018.299