Partners Now Parents: Supporting Couples During the Journey to Parenthood.
Shannon M Savell1, Lauren V Breeden1, Robert E Emery1
1Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA.
Family Process
|January 22, 2025
Summary
A new prevention program, Partners Now Parents, helped couples maintain romantic satisfaction during the transition to parenthood. This virtual, group-based program showed feasibility and effectiveness for expecting parents.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Public Health
Background:
- Parenthood transition often leads to decreased couple satisfaction.
- Limited availability of virtual, group-based prevention programs for expectant couples.
- Need for accessible mental health support with reduced stigma for expecting parents.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the feasibility and effectiveness of the Partners Now Parents program.
- To assess the impact of a virtual, group-based prevention program on couple satisfaction.
- To evaluate participant reception and potential for reducing mental health stigma.
Main Methods:
- Pilot study with 66 racially and socioeconomically diverse expecting parents (33 couples).
- Intervention group received five teletherapy prevention sessions.
- Active control group received psychoeducation via email.
Main Results:
- Couples in the prevention program experienced a less steep decline in romantic satisfaction compared to the control group.
- The Partners Now Parents program was found to be feasible and effective.
- Participants favorably received the prevention program.
Conclusions:
- Virtual, group-based prevention programs are a viable option for supporting couples transitioning to parenthood.
- The Partners Now Parents program demonstrates potential for enhancing couple satisfaction and reducing mental health stigma.
- Early intervention during the perinatal period can positively impact relationship dynamics.
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