Group-based parent support during the transition to parenthood: Primary outcomes from a randomised controlled trial

Area of Science:

• Parenting Interventions
• Developmental Psychology
• Public Health

Background:

• Parental self-efficacy is theorized to reduce children's risk of poor developmental outcomes.
• Enhancing parents' sense of competence is a key goal in early parenting programs.
• The Family Start up Program (FSP) is a large-scale, group-based intervention for new parents in Denmark.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of the FSP on parents' sense of competence, parenting stress, and depressive symptoms.
• To assess the effectiveness of a universal, group-based parenting program.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 1701 families comparing the FSP to Care as Usual (CAU).
• Data collected from mothers and partners at 10 months postpartum.
• Intention-to-treat analysis was used.

Main Results:

• High program satisfaction was reported by parents attending the FSP.
• No significant differences were found between the FSP and CAU groups in parental sense of competence, stress, or depression symptoms at 10 months.
• Intervention attendance was high, with 92% of mothers and 94% of partners receiving the FSP.

Conclusions:

• The FSP, despite high attendance and satisfaction, did not demonstrably improve parental sense of competence, stress, or depression.
• The findings suggest a need to refine the FSP's approach or expected outcomes.
• Further research is warranted to optimize parenting interventions for measurable effects.