title: Effectiveness and moderators of the preventive intervention kids in divorce situations: A randomized controlled trial.
abstract: Children of divorced parents have an increased risk of a variety of problems in comparison to children from intact families. Therefore, several intervention programs have been developed directed at children of divorced parents. Yet, empirical data on the effectiveness of these interventions are limited. This study evaluated the school-based, child-directed prevention program Kids In Divorce Situations (KIDS) using a randomized controlled trial. The sample consisted of 156 children randomly assigned at the school level into an experimental (80 children) and control condition (76 children). In addition, 131 mothers and 76 fathers participated in the study. Four assessments took place: a pretest, a posttest, and two follow-up assessments conducted 6 months and 1 year after finishing KIDS. Latent growth analyses demonstrated that the intervention significantly reduced child-reported emotional problems and enhanced child-reported communication with the father and mother-reported communication with the child. The effect sizes ranged from .30-.63. Few moderation effects of gender, time since divorce, or perceived parental conflict on the intervention effects were found. After parental divorce, a limited school-based intervention for children can be efficacious in promoting children's emotional well-being and parent-child communication.
authors.affiliation: Scientific Center of Care and Welfare, School of Social and Behavioral Sciences.
authors.forename: Hannah A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Pelleboer-Gunnink
authors.affiliation: Child and Adolescent Studies, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Utrecht University.
authors.forename: Inge E
authors.initials: IE
authors.lastname: Van der Valk
authors.affiliation: Child and Adolescent Studies, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Utrecht University.
authors.forename: Susan J T
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Branje
authors.affiliation: Child and Adolescent Studies, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Utrecht University.
authors.forename: Muriel D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Van Doorn
authors.affiliation: Child and Adolescent Studies, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Utrecht University.
authors.forename: Maja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Deković
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D004243:Divorce / Q000523:psychology; D004644:Emotions; D005219:Father-Child Relations; D005220:Fathers / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008603:Mental Health; D009034:Mother-Child Relations / Q000523:psychology; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000379:methods; D012572:School Health Services; D012737:Sex Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome