title: Early parenting program as intervention strategy for emotional distress in first-time mothers: a propensity score analysis.
abstract: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a single session intervention designed to reduce emotional distress in first-time mothers. We held a parenting class for first-time mothers who had given birth at a university hospital in Tokyo, Japan. The program of the class consists of lectures on infant care and group discussion, which is a common form of intervention in Japan. The effectiveness of intervention is assessed according to differences in emotional distress experienced by class participants and nonparticipants, and analyzed by the use of a propensity score method to avoid self-selection bias. In order to be more confident about our results, we employ several variations of this method. Results from statistical analysis show that although the effectiveness of the intervention was limited, it was able to alleviate subjects' loss of self-confidence as mothers. Because this outcome shows a good degree of consistency across methods, it can be considered robust. Moreover, it is roughly consistent with previous studies. Effectiveness can probably be increased by developing a program that improves upon the intervention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Early Childhood Education, Women's Junior College of NSSU, Tokyo, Japan. okamotom@nittai.ac.jp
authors.forename: Miwako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.forename: Hideaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ishigami
authors.forename: Kumiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tokimoto
authors.forename: Megumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matsuoka
authors.forename: Ryoko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tango
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology*; D049590:Postpartum Period; D015397:Program Evaluation; D057216:Propensity Score; D012649:Self Concept; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*