The family strengthening program: Influences on parental mood, parental sense of competence and family functioning

Abstract

The Family Strengthening Program (FSP) is an eclectic, strengths-based early intervention program conducted in Gympie and on the Sunshine Coast, Australia, which targets families in crisis, for whom child safety concerns have been identified. The program draws on concepts and strategies selected from: The family preservation and positive parenting approaches; solution focused, narrative and cognitive behavioral therapies; motivational interviewing; and therapeutic crisis intervention. Using a pre-test–post-test design (N = 19) and a waitlist control group (N = 10), this study examined whether participation in the FSP increased parental mood, parental sense of competence, and family functioning. No differences were evident between the intervention and control groups at intake. The results showed that participants in the intervention group reported fewer symptoms of depression and stress and higher parental satisfaction and parental self-efficacy at closure than were evident at intake. At closure also, parental satisfaction and efficacy were significantly higher for the intervention group than for the control group. Furthermore, scores for the intervention group on all eight family functioning domains of the North Carolina Family Assessment Scale – General were significantly more positive at closure than on intake. FSP effectiveness was less for single parent families and/or families in which substance misuse was identified as a problem. The results demonstrate the value of early intervention programs in improving family functioning.