Direct and Moderated Effects of the New Beginnings Program Vs. Active Comparison Condition

This presentation describes a randomized, effectiveness trial of the New Beginnings Program (NBP) for divorcing parents. The NBP is a 10-session parenting-focused program that has been shown to have positive short-term effects on parenting and children’s mental health problems in tightly controlled conditions of efficacy trials. At the 6- and 15- year follow-ups, relative to a literature control condition, the NBP had a wide range of effects on outcomes including, including reductions in multiple types of substance use problems, high-risk sexual behavior, and diagnosis of mental disorder and increases in multiple competencies, including self-regulation, self-esteem, grades, coping efficacy, and attitudes toward parenting. In the context of the significant public health burden of parental divorce, the breadth and durability of the NBP’s effects provided strong support for assessing the effects of this program in an effectiveness trial.

Method: The effectiveness trial involved a collaboration between the developers of the NBP, family courts in four counties and community agencies to test whether the program had positive effects when delivered at large scale and implemented by community agencies. Divorcing and separating parents with children over three who attended a universally mandated parent education class were invited to participate. The trial involved 886 parents (502 mothers and 384 fathers) and 1,530 children who were randomly assigned to receive the 10-session NBP or a 2-session program that provided information on parenting skills. Measures of parenting, interparental conflict and children’s mental health problems were completed by parents, children and teachers at pre-test, post-test and  a 10-month follow-up. The evaluation tested whether program effects differed across gender of parent, level of interparental conflict, ethnicity of the parent (Hispanic vs. non-Hispanic white), level of risk of the family, and per capita income.

Results: The post-test results found significant effects of the NBP to improve parenting and reduce children’s mental health problems. Moderation analysis found few differences on program effects between mothers and fathers but for several variables the NBP was found to be more effective for non-Hispanic whites than Hispanics, and for high risk families than low risk families. Analysis of the 10-month follow-up data is currently in progress.

Conclusion: Results to date indicate that community-based agencies can effectively deliver the NBP to divorcing parents and obtain effects comparable to those found in the efficacy trials.