Family Foundations To promote parent mental health and family functioning during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia: A mixed methods evaluation

ABSTRACT

Evidence-based family-based interventions targeting parent mental health and partner conflict during community-wide crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic are scarce. Family Foundations (FF), a 10-week couple/parent-based intervention targeting parent mental health, conflict and co-parenting was delivered via video-conferencing during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to: (1) explore parents’ and clinicians’ experiences and perceived benefits of FF, and (2) assess pre–post intervention changes in parent mental health, interparental conflict and co-parenting behaviour. A mixed methods evaluation was conducted with 62 families with young children experiencing parent mental health difficulties and/or parental conflict. Qualitative interviews with parents and FF clinicians were conducted, and intervention outcomes were assessed using mother-report surveys. Maternal stress and anxiety symptoms decreased and co-parenting support and parenting warmth increased following FF. Parents expressed high satisfaction with FF despite the perceived limited cultural and family structure diversity in the videos. Although some activities were modified and clinicians were more directive in their style of delivery, FF was implemented with fidelity. Importantly, telehealth delivery made FF accessible to meet the needs of families during the pandemic when in-person services were not available. These findings will inform further development and evaluation of telehealth FF during community-wide crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

KEYWORDS:

• COVID-19 pandemic
• parent mental health
• parental conflict
• intervention
• co-parenting

Data availability

Routinely collected data is held by Merri Health. Qualitative interview data is held by Murdoch Children’s Research Institute.

Disclosure statement

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

Additional information

Funding

This project was supported by funding from the Victorian Government Department of Health and Human Services, the Victor Chiodo Foundation and Morgan Stanley. Murdoch Children's Research Institute received funding from the Victorian Government Operational Infrastructure Support Programme.