Changes in Couple Relationship Dynamics among Low-Income Parents in a Relationship Education Program Are Associated with Decreases in Their Children’s Mental Health Symptoms

Abstract

Witnessing intimate partner violence (IPV) among parents negatively impacts millions of children in the United States each year. Low-income families are disproportionately affected by IPV compared to middle- and high-income individuals, and are beginning to be the focus of IPV secondary prevention interventions, including relationship education programs. Despite these developments, few studies have examined changes in psychosocial functioning among children of parents participating in relationship education programs. The current study examined the extent to which changes in specific couple dynamics among individuals from low-income backgrounds participating in a couple relationship education program, Within My Reach, were associated with changes in child mental health symptoms. A second purpose of this paper is to examine whether changes in parent–child relationship quality mediates the association between changes in couple dynamics and changes in child mental health difficulties. Participants (n = 347) were parents who participated in Within My Reach as part of programming offered at a large community agency. Decreases in negative couple conflict behaviors, including conflict engagement, withdrawal and compliance, over the course of the program were linked to decreases in child mental health difficulties. In addition, increases in parent–child relationship quality partially mediated the associations between decreases in compliance, as well as increase in overall couple relationship quality, and decreases in child symptoms. Community-based couple relationship education programs for low-income families can potentially have multiple positive impacts throughout the family system, including for children.

Effects of individual-oriented relationship education for parents: A randomized controlled trial.

“…Treatment group participants reported significantly better parent–child relationships than wait-list control participants 3 months after random assignment. This finding aligns with previous research that demonstrated positive outcomes for parents attending relationship education (Kirkland et al, 2011; Sterrett-Hong et al, 2018). Through enhancements in the parent–child relationship, indirect outcomes are likely (i.e., increased self-esteem, increased decision-making skills, empathy; Landreth & Bratton, 2020; Siegel & Bryson, 2019), resulting in overall increased mental health for children.…”

“…Security within this primary relationship often precedes a child’s increased self-regulation, increased decision-making abilities, and increased empathy between parent and child, thus mitigating long term mental health concerns (Landreth & Bratton, 2020; Siegel & Bryson, 2019). Previous researchers indicated that parents participating in relationship education demonstrated improvements in parent–child relationships and noted decreases of child mental health difficulties within low-income families (Kirkland et al, 2011; Sterrett-Hong et al, 2018). Additionally, couples-oriented relationship education demonstrated positive effects for increasing parental alliance (Carlson, Barden, et al, 2014) and parental attitudes (Barden et al, 2015).…”

Psychological Distress Symptoms and Resilience Assets in Adolescents in Residential Care

“…Evidently, these can lead to the intervention of social services and the removal of the child or adolescent from the family [19]. In Portugal, the main factors that lead to institutionalisation are parental neglect and abandonment, physical and/or psychological abuse, and the existence of high-risk disruptive behaviour [12].…”

“…Children and adolescents who suffer abuse or who live under circumstances of intrafamily violence experience severe and acute stress, and therefore they tend to develop post-traumatic stress disorder. This is usually expressed in the form of emotional and behavioural disturbances and difficulties in interpersonal functioning [11][12][13][14][15]. In this regard, decades of research on psychosocial adversity in childhood, and particularly on child abuse, have produced sufficient evidence to conclude that abuse affects a child's developmental path, with consequences that can continue throughout life [16].…”

The Association between Living Status Transitions, Behavior Changes and Family Relationship Improvement among Methadone Maintenance Treatment Participants in Guangdong, China

“…That meant an increase in positive behaviors and a decrease in negative behaviors were related to the improvement of the relationships. In another couple relationship education program, changes in parent-child relationship quality were associated with changes in parents' conflict-related behaviors and mediated the associations between changes in couples' relationship quality and changes in a child's mental health symptoms [33]. These studies focused on the improvement of relationship quality, while they were all conducted among general population.…”