Evaluating a primary prevention program for children of divorce.
The effectiveness of a primary prevention program for children of divorce is evaluated. Subjects included 82 mother-child pairs. Mothers had been separated for 33 months or less and did not have prior histories of using mental health services. Subjects were assigned to one of four conditions: (a) the Children's Support Group alone (CSG), (b) the CSG and the Single Parents' Support Group (SPSG), (c) the SPSG alone, or (d) a no-treatment control group. Data collected before, after, and 5 months following intervention, were analyzed using analyses of covariance with preintervention scores as covariates and pre-post and post-follow-up difference scores as dependent measures. Children in the CSG-alone condition improved most in self-concept and parents in the SPSG-alone condition improved the most in adjustment. Improvements were either maintained or did not change differentially across groups at follow up. Adaptive social skills of CSG-alone children compared to children in the CSG/SPSG groups showed significant post-to-follow-up improvements.
D000184:Acting Out; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D002648:Child; D002667:Child Reactive Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D004243:Divorce; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D011340:Problem Solving; D012649:Self Concept