Results of a Mindfulness-Based Family Intervention: Differential Effects for Mothers and Fathers

Introduction:Accumulating evidence supports the efficacy of mindfulness training for improving parenting and reducing risk for youth problem behaviors. Mindfulness allows parents to use skills more effectively and enhance parent-youth interactions, thereby reducing risk. The evidence, however, has been limited to small scale studies, reporting only on mothers. This presentation focuses on: 1) differential effects of the Mindfulness-based Strengthening Families (MSFP) program versus the original Strengthening Families 10-14 Program (SFP) on mindful parenting, parenting behaviors, parent-youth relationship quality and parent well-being; 2) differential effects for mothers versus fathers and whether effects are moderated by youth gender and level of baseline problems; and, 3) whether parental mindfulness mediates program effects.

Methods: 432 families of 6^th and 7^thgraders from four communities were randomly assigned to MSFP, SFP or a home study control condition and assessed at baseline, post-intervention and one-year followup. Families were primarily European-American (69%) two-parent (66%) with median annual income of $49,000. Fifty-four percent of youth were female; average age was 12.14 (SD = .67). Youth and parents reported on parent mindfulness, parenting practices/child management strategies, and parent-youth relationship quality. Parents reported on parenting stress, parenting self-efficacy and overall well-being.

Results: HLM analyses revealed few differences for mothers across intervention conditions. Significant differences (effect size) were evident, however, on youth report of monitoring at post (ES = .26) and followup (ES = .31) with MSFP youth reporting more monitoring by mothers. Effects were stronger for fathers, with MSFP fathers reporting greater mindful parenting (ES = .24-.46), support and understanding of their youth (ES = .22), and lower parenting stress (ES = -.33) than SFP fathers at followup. MSFP Youth reported stronger relationship quality at post (ES = .27-.36), but not followup. Results indicated that some intervention effects for both mothers and fathers were moderated by child gender, with stronger effects for boys, and by youth levels of baseline problems. SEM analyses indicated that Mindful Parenting mediated intervention effects on parent-youth relationship quality.

Conclusions: Results from one of the few RCTs testing a mindfulness-based family intervention provides evidence for the efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions to change parenting practices and parent-youth relationship quality. Results also suggest the benefit of engaging fathers into interventions as stronger effects were evident for fathers in some areas.