Assessing the effects of an education program on mental health problems in separated parents

Abstract

Background: Parental separation is a stressful experience that can lead to parents suffering mental health problems (MHPs). Parental separation education programs for coping with post-separation adjustment have proven to be effective in reducing confl ict and improving co-parenting. However, the effects of these programs on MHPs have not been assessed. A fi eld study was carried out to assess the impact of a parental separation education program on parental MHPs. Method: A total of 116 separated parents who completed the program “Parental separation, not family breakdown” completed the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) pre- and post-intervention. Results: Separated parents had signifi cantly higher pre-intervention scores on the nine symptom dimensions and the global indexes of distress in comparison to the normative population. The intervention yielded a signifi cant improvement (i.e., reduction of clinical symptoms) in all MHPs, ranging from 19% in phobic anxiety to 36% in depression and general anxiety; and in the global indexes of distress (36% in the global severity index; 28% in the positive symptom distress index; and 33% in the positive symptom total). Approximately 45% of parents signifi cantly improved through the intervention. Conclusions: The implications of the outcomes of the separation and intervention in parents’ MHPs and children wellbeing are discussed.