Parenting programs help kids, but provide insufficient support for parents, study finds

Parenting programs that address both mental health and parenting skills can improve children’s development, but often fall short when it comes to offering effective mental-health support for parents, new research suggests.

“It’s a surprising contradiction,” said the study’s lead author, Marilyn Ahun, Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at McGill University. “Our findings show the potential of multi-component programs, while revealing gaps that need to be addressed.”

The research team reviewed and analyzed 25 studies from around the world, in collaboration with colleagues from Harvard, Kuwait and Emory universities.

The researchers, who published their study in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, found that children under three whose parents joined integrated programs developed better emotional and cognitive skills, compared to those who received no supports. However, mothers saw little to no relief from their depression symptoms. The authors noted that there are not enough studies assessing depression in fathers to know how programs impact their symptoms.

The insights could help inform the design of programs that better support parents and their young children during a period when children’s brains are most sensitive to experiences, said the researchers. They noted that even if children still benefitted when their parents received support on child-rearing, parental mental health has a strong influence on parenting practices and the outcomes for children.

Gap in mental health support for parents

Programs for parents of young children often address either child-rearing skills or mental health support. In integrated programs that cover both, the primary emphasis is on child-rearing skills, said the authors.

“Many of these programs only dedicate one or two sessions to mental health, which isn’t enough to help parents who are struggling,” said Ahun, who is also a Junior Scientist at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre.

“This is particularly concerning, as about one-in-four mothers and one-in-10 fathers experience depression during the perinatal period, making it difficult for them to provide the nurturing support their children need,” she added.

With more than 250 million children worldwide falling short of their developmental potential, the researchers say their findings offer insights into how best to improve family support during a critical phase of early-childhood development.