Promoting new mothers’ maternal social support in urban China: a series of group social work interventions in a public hospital setting

ABSTRACT

This study implemented a series of social work groups with physician lectures for new mothers in Shanghai, China, and evaluated the practice effects. Outcome data of the intervention (N = 84) and comparison (N = 38) groups were collected using the Maternal Social Support Scale before, immediately after, and three months after the intervention. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to compare the service effects in different periods. The intervention group showed a significant increase in total social support in three dimensions (informational, emotional, and instrumental) immediately after the intervention. Informational and total social support increased significantly over time with no group effects.

KEYWORDS:

• New mothers
• maternal social support
• group social work
• public hospital setting
• intervention study

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by Humanity and Social Science Youth foundation of Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China (Project No.18YJC840016), Shanghai Social Science Innovation Research Base of ‘Research on Transitional Sociology with Chinese Characteristics’ and China Scholarship Council (Grant No. 202206140110).

Notes on contributors

Shanshan He

Shanshan He is an Associate Professor at the Department of Social Work, School of Social Development, East China Normal University. She received her PhD from the University of Hong Kong in 2010 and has research interests in women’s health and social development, urban childcare social services and family social work. She has provided direct services to new mothers and their families in hospital settings.

Yihua Chen

Yihua Chen is a PhD candidate at the Department of Social Work, School of Social Development, East China Normal University, with research interests in social policy and social work.

Jun Niu

Jun Niu LCSW, is Director of the Department of Social Work at Children’s Hospital of Shanghai. He has led social service programs for children and their families in the hospital.

Yanhong Li

Yanhong Li LCSW, is a medical social worker with the Department of Social Work, Children’s Hospital of Shanghai. She has provided social services to children and their families in the hospital.

Chenxi Huang

Chenxi Huang is a professor at the Department of Social Work, School of Social Development, East China Normal University. His research interests include social work and social policy, population ageing and social assistance programs in China.