Effects of an asynchronous, fully web-based parenting-after-divorce program to reduce interparental conflict, increase quality of parenting and reduce children's post-divorce behavior problems

• Published in: Family court review Vol. 60; no. 3; pp. 474 - 491
• Main Authors: Wolchik, Sharlene A., Sandler, Irwin N., Winslow, Emily B., Porter, Michele M., Tein, Jenn‐Yun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken, USA John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.07.2022; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Child & adolescent mental health; Child mental health; Child Mental Health Problems; Children & youth; Children of divorced parents; Divorce; Families; Improving Post‐divorce Parenting; Mental health; Parent and child; Parent Education for Divorced/Separated Families; Parent-child relations; Parents & parenting; Prevention programs for Divorced/Separated Families; Reducing Post‐divorce Interparental Conflict; Services for; UNITED STATES
• ISSN: 1531-2445; 1744-1617
• DOI: 10.1111/fcre.12620

This study is a randomized controlled trial of an asynchronous, fully web-based program for divorced and separated parents, the electronic New Beginnings Program (eNBP). This program is an adaptation of a group, in-person program for divorced parents, the New Beginnings Program (NBP), which has been shown in randomized trials to reduce a wide range of offspring problems and improve a wide range of competencies up to 15 years after participation. The 10-module, 5-h program uses evidence-based, highly interactive strategies to teach skills designed to strengthen parenting after divorce and reduce interparental conflict. Participants were 131 parents (63% mothers) and 102 adolescent offspring. Parents were randomly assigned to the eNBP or a wait-list control condition. Parents and their children completed pre- and post-tests. Analyses showed that at post-test, parents and children in the eNBP reported significantly higher parent-child relationship quality, more effective discipline, lower interparental conflict and lower child mental health problems than did those in the wait-list control condition. These are the strongest findings in the literature on the effects of web-based programs to reduce interparental conflict, strengthen positive parenting and reduce children's post-divorce mental health problems. Given that parental divorce has significant individual and societal costs, widespread implementation of this program could have significant public health implications.