The Effects of an Intervention Program during the Transition to Parenthood

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of an intervention program for couples during the transition to parenthood on women’s mental health and conjugality as assessed by the couple. A couple with low levels of education underwent a Brazilian-adapted version of the Family Foundations program, with a home-based intervention, using pilot evaluation through a single-case experimental design with repeater measures. The Self-Reporting Questionnaire and the Beck Depression Inventory assessed maternal mental health, while the Dyadic Adjustment Scale and observations of couple communication measured couple functioning. There was an improvement in the father’s communication and an increase in the mother’s self-reported dyadic satisfaction. The program was not effective in promoting maternal mental health. The program’s focus on individual and conjugal dimensions of the transition to parenthood benefits the couple’s relationship; however, it does not seem to favor maternal mental health.

Keywords:
Parenting; Mental Health; Psychosocial Intervention; Marriage