Promoting a positive transition to parenthood: a randomized clinical trial of couple relationship education.
The transition to parenthood is often associated with a decline in couple relationship adjustment. Couples (n = 71) expecting their first child were randomly assigned to either: (a) Becoming a Parent (BAP), a maternal parenting education program; or (b) Couple CARE for Parents (CCP), a couple relationship and parenting education program. Couples were assessed pre-intervention (last trimester of pregnancy), post-intervention (5 months postpartum), and follow-up (12 months postpartum). Relative to BAP, CCP reduced negative couple communication from pre- to post-intervention, and prevented erosion of relationship adjustment and self-regulation in women but not men from pre-intervention to follow-up. Mean parenting stress reflected positive adjustment to parenthood with no differences between BAP and CCP. CCP shows promise as a brief program that can enhance couple communication and women's adjustment to parenthood.
Halford
W Kim
WK
Griffith University, Gold Coast, Mt. Gravatt QLD 4122, Australia. K.halford@psych.uq.edu.au
Petch
Jemima
J
Creedy
Debra K
DK
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D001290:Attitude; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D016487:Parenting; D011247:Pregnancy; D012944:Social Support; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods; D055815:Young Adult