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Short Report

Supporting children’s well-being: Outcomes of a rural child-focused education program for separating or divorced parents Debra A. Dunstan, PhD, Catherine J. Talbot, MPsych, and Andrea del Pozo de Bolger MPsych

Discipline of Psychology, School of Behavioural, Cognitive and Social Sciences, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, Australia

This study examined the effectiveness of the educational components of a child-focused Post Separation Coop- erative Parenting (PSCP) program aimed at lowering inter-parental acrimony, improving parent–child rela- tionships and supporting adaptive outcomes for an iden- tified child. Inter-parental acrimony is common among adults whose relationship has broken down1 and can have a detrimental effect on their child’s adjustment, both currently and into the future.2 Impacts include poor academic achievement, behavioural and emotional disorders and antisocial and criminal conduct. The parent–child relationship might also suffer. These impli- cations, and the high rate of separation and divorce in Australia, has led the Australian Government to fund not-for-profit organisations to offer counselling, paren- tal dispute education and mediation services to affected families. These PSCP programs help parents learn how conflict affects children, and how to focus on the needs and well-being of the child. This study evaluated an innovative education and skills training program devel- oped by Centacare New England North West Family Relationship Centre and delivered to parents in rural New South Wales as part of a PSCP program.

Participants, methods and results Participants were consenting separating or divorced parents (n = 42; 15 mothers and 27 fathers; mean age = 34.4 years; SD = 6.7) who attended a mandatory 6-hour education program, delivered in two weekly 3-hour sessions (see Table 1 for program details) prior to engagement in court-ordered mediation. The study consisted of an uncontrolled pre-test post-test design with self-report measures administered before (T1),

after (T2) and at 1 month follow-up (T3). The Acri- mony Scale (AS)3 measured inter-parental conflict; the Parent–Child Relationship Inventory (PCRI)4 assessed parents’ attitudes towards parenting and their children; and, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)5 screened for behavioural, emotional and social functioning in identified children and adolescents. The results showed that from T1 to T3 there was a significant reduction in inter-parental acrimony (Wilks’ ambda = .75, F(2,35) = 05.88, P < .05, partial η2 = .25) and an improvement in parent–child relation- ships (Wilks’ lambda = .73, F(2,33) = 06.04, P < .05, partial η2 = .27). The PCRI social desirability and incon- sistency indicators revealed that overall, the parents returned valid responses. Mean child functioning (SDQ total difficulties score) was unchanged as it was in the ‘normal’ range throughout the study period. However, of the 15% of children whose scores fell in the ‘abnor- mal’ range at T1, only 3% were in this range at T3.

To illuminate the quantitative findings, participants’ written feedback comments were obtained via a 3-month follow-up questionnaire. Content analysis revealed three themes. The first was: ‘How the education program had effected change’. Suggested mechanisms included: improved parenting knowledge and skills, and changed attitudes towards the ex-partner. For example:

I got a lot of information on how to handle situations with younger children;

and,

The program helped me see things thought my part- ner’s eyes.

A second theme was: ‘The programs have broad value’. For example:

The program should be placed in schools for teachers/principals

Correspondence: Dr Debra A. Dunstan, Discipline of Psychol- ogy, School of Behavioural, Cognitive and Social Sciences, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, 2351, Australia. Email: [email protected]

doi: 10.1111/ajr.12250 © 201 National Rural Health Alliance Inc.

Aust. J. Rural Health (2017) 25, 132–133

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A third theme was ‘Limitations of the program’: such as its brevity, and the content being generic rather than personalised. For instance:

Needs longer program and more time for discussion between participants.

Comments The findings suggest that a child-focused, educational, cooperative parenting program delivered to divorcing or separating parents, can have a large effect on lowering inter-parental conflict and improving parent–child rela- tionships. It might also improve the adjustment of chil- dren with maladaptive functioning. Based on the content of the programs in this study, the mechanisms of change might include knowledge and insight to increase understanding and tolerance, and skills to support regu- lation of emotions and behaviours. Lack of experimen- tal control threatens the internal validity of this study, thus the findings must be interpreted with caution. That said, the findings imply that the allocation of funding for PSCP programs is of benefit to rural Australian families. Future research could explore the value of offering similar programs as an early intervention for families under stress.

Acknowledgements The intellectual property for the Building Connections parenting program belongs to Interrelate Family Centres

(2009). The How- o-Now program was internally designed by Centacare New England North West (NENW) Family Relationship Centre.

Author contributions

A/Prof Debra Dunstan contributed to the conception and design of the study along with writing the paper. Ms Catherine Talbot contributed to data collection, entry and analysis. Ms Andrea del Pozo de Bolger contributed to writing the paper.

References 1 Schoppe-Sullivan S, Schermerhorn A, Cummings E. Marital

conflict and children’s adjustment: evaluation of the parent- ing process model. Journal of Marriage and Family 2007; 69: 1118–1134.

2 Compas B, Connor-Smith J, Saltzman H, Thomsen A, Wadsworth M. Coping with stress during childhood and adolescence: problems, progress, and potential in theory and research. Psychological Bulletin 2001; 127: 87–127.

3 Shaw DS, Emery RE. Parental conflict and other correlates of the adjustment of school-age children whose parents have separated. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology 1987; 15: 269–281.

4 Gerard AB. Parent–Child Relationship Inventory (PCRI) Manual. Los Angeles, CA: Western Psychological Services, 2005.

5 Goodman R. The strengths and difficulties questionnaire: a research note. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 1997; 38: 581–586.

TABLE 1: Educational components of the Post Separation Cooperative Parenting (PSCP) rogram

Program Components

Building connections • Information about the effects of separation and the impact of family conflict on children • Internalising and externalising behaviours seen in children subject to inter-parental conflict • Single parenting and co-parenting • How to communicate when there is high conflict with an ex-partner

How-to- ow • Loss and grief experienced by separating parents and children • The mental health impacts of separation on parents and children • The rights of the child • Strategies to lessen the impacts at different stages of separation or divorce (e.g. establishing

goals for optimal co-parenting, connecting with support services and stress management) • Child behaviour management

© 201 National Rural Health Alliance Inc.

133SUPPORTING CHILDREN’S WELL-BEING

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