Maternal Postnatal Emotional Well-being and Perceived Parenting Hassles: Does Community Intervention with Normal Populations Make a Difference?

Abstract

The impact of community intervention by health visitors on maternal emotional well-being and perceived hassles of parenting was examined longitudinally (pregnancy to two years after the child's birth) in a sample of Greek mothers in the normal population. Health visitors were assigned randomly to an experimental group (receiving specific training on issues of parenting and early psychosocial development) and a comparison group (not receiving the particular training). Mothers were recruited through health visitors on a voluntary basis, thus forming an experimental and a comparison group. Results suggest a positive effect of trained health visitors on both the employed measures; mothers of the experimental group showed improving emotional wellbeing and lower percentages of scores suggesting depression on the EPDS scale and they reported better adjustment to the baby and fewer, and less intense, ‘hassles’ associated with their day-to-day parenting. The evidence stemming from the study provides indications for the usefulness of community programmes addressing the general population.