TY - JOUR PY - 2023// TI - Evaluating the effects of prenatal intervention on parenting in women exposed to intimate partner violence JO - Journal of family psychology A1 - Howell, Kathryn H. A1 - Napier, Taylor R. A1 - Scheid, Caroline R. A1 - Braungart-Rieker, Julie A1 - Miller-Graff, Laura E. SP - ePub EP - ePub VL - ePub IS - ePub N2 - The Pregnant Moms' Empowerment Program (PMEP) is a brief, group intervention for pregnant women who have experienced intimate partner violence (IPV). This study was a quasirandomized trial of the effects of PMEP on parenting. Participants were 137 pregnant women exposed to IPV in the past year; 82 received PMEP and 55 were in a no-treatment control condition. Participants completed four assessments (pretest [T1], posttest [T2], 3-month postpartum[T3], and 12-month postpartum [T4]). At T1-T4, women self-reported on their parenting attitudes (i.e., expectations of children, parental empathy, corporal punishment, parent-child family roles) and parenting confidence. At the postpartum assessments, mother-infant dyads participated in a videorecorded free play session that was coded for warm-sensitive parenting.

RESULTS showed that women who received PMEP had more appropriate expectations of children (β = 0.51, 95% CI [0.03, 0.99], d(r) = 0.53, 95% CI [0.31, 1.02]) and higher empathy toward children (β = 0.64, 95% CI [0.05, 1.23], d(r) = 0.53, 95% CI [0.04, 1.02]) at T2, as compared to women in the control group. Women who received PMEP also showed more warm-sensitive parenting at T4 (Wald χ² = 4.01, p =.045; R² = 5.58%, d = 0.41, 95% CI [0.07, 0.88]) as compared to women in the control group. No differences emerged on corporal punishment, parent-child family roles, postpartum empathy and expectations of children, parenting confidence, or 3-month postpartum parenting behaviors. Thus, results were mixed, with some short-term positive effects and other benefits emerging only at 1-year postpartum.

FINDINGS highlight the potential clinical utility of brief interventions for pregnant, IPV-exposed women. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Language: en

LA - en SN - 0893-3200 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/fam0001175 ID - ref1 ER -