Family and Child Outcomes 2 Years After a Transition to Parenthood Intervention

• Published in: Family relations 2018-04, Vol.67 (2), p.270-286
• Main Authors: Jones, Damon E., Feinberg, Mark E., Hostetler, Michelle L., Roettger, Michael E., Paul, Ian M., Ehrenthal, Deborah B.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adjustment; Age; Age differences; Babies; Behavior problems; Child & adolescent psychiatry; Child Development; Childbirth & labor; Childrearing practices; Children; Children & youth; Clinical psychology; Communication; Control Groups; Coparenting; Couples; Domestic violence; Effectiveness; Families & family life; Habits; Health care; Health problems; Internalization; Internalizing disorders; Interpersonal communication; Interpersonal relations; Intervention; Mental health; Parent-child relations; Parenthood education; Parents & parenting; program development & evaluation; Psychopathology; Quality; Sleep; Stress; transition to parenthood; Young Children
• ISSN: 0197-6664; 1741-3729; 0197-6664
• DOI: 10.1111/fare.12309

Objective To examine the impact of Family Foundations, a transition‐to‐parenting intervention, on parent and child outcomes 2 years after birth. Background Couples transitioning to parenthood face many stressors and challenges that are not typically addressed through commonly available childbirth preparatory classes. The Family Foundations program was designed for couples expecting their first child and addresses family stressors related to coparenting, parenting, and mental health. Method The recruited sample of 399 couples expecting their first child were randomly assigned to intervention or control conditions. Data were obtained through home observation and parent surveys before and after intervention. Results Intent‐to‐treat analyses indicated effects on several targeted domains including coparenting, parenting, and relationship quality, as well as on child sleep habits and internalizing behavior problems at 2 years of age. Effects for several outcomes were larger for those couples at greater risk based on pretest‐observed negative dyadic communication styles. Conclusion Longer‐term impact found here on parent and child outcomes provides new evidence of the effectiveness of this program for first‐time parents. Implications Programs directed toward broader issues related to aspects of coparenting, parenting, and mental health have the potential to have longer‐term positive impact on the couples and the developing child.