The effectiveness of parenting programs in regard to improving parental reflective functioning: a meta-analysis

• Published in: Attachment & human development Vol. 24; no. 1; pp. 76 - 92
• Main Authors: Lo, Camilla K.M., Wong, Sui Yan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Routledge 01.02.2022; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Child; Child, Preschool; Humans; Intervention; mentalization-based intervention; mentalizing; Meta-analysis; Object Attachment; Parenting; parenting programs; Parents; Reflective functioning; Systematic review; meta-analysis; mentalization-based intervention; mentalizing; Reflective functioning; parenting programs
• ISSN: 1461-6734; 1469-2988
• DOI: 10.1080/14616734.2020.1844247

Although parenting interventions aiming to improve parental RF have been developed, there have been conflicting results in regard to intervention effectiveness. This meta-analytic review seeks to synthesize the available evidence that group-based parenting interventions improve parental RF, in order to provide conclusive evidence regarding their effectiveness. A systematic search was performed to retrieve relevant studies published before November 2019. A total of 15 studies met the selection criteria, of which 3 studies were randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The studies yielded a significant intervention effect with a small pooled effect size (Hedge's g = 0.279, p = 0.002) on parental RF. However, the pooled effect size of the 3 RCTs was non-significant (pooled effect size: Hedge's g = 0.189, p = 0.244), indicating that current best evidence is limited. As the heterogeneity test was significant (Q = 32.486, df = 14, p = 0.003), which suggests the presence of heterogeneity among the selected studies, a series of moderator analyses were performed to examine factors that may influence intervention effects. Interventions that involved children in middle childhood had a larger effect size than those involving children in infancy and early childhood.