Impacts of healthy marriage and relationship education for expectant and new mothers

Abstract

ObjectiveTo build the evidence base on healthy marriage and relationship education (HMRE) programs serving individual adults, this study examined the 1‐year impacts of the MotherWise program, which serves women with low incomes who are pregnant or have just had a baby.BackgroundDespite the increasing prevalence of HMRE programs serving individual adults, few studies have rigorously examined their effectiveness.MethodWomen were randomly assigned to either (a) an intervention group offered MotherWise (n = 512), or (b) a control group not offered MotherWise (n = 437). Women's relationship skills, attitudes, and outcomes were measured by a 1‐year follow‐up survey.ResultsMotherWise improved women's relationship skills and attitudes, and reduced the likelihood of unintended pregnancy. MotherWise did not affect levels of intimate partner violence, coparenting quality, and emotional well‐being. Among women in a relationship with their baby's father, MotherWise improved the quality of that relationship.ConclusionMotherWise met its immediate goal of helping women develop the skills and attitudes to make informed, healthy decisions about relationships. The program's impact on unintended pregnancy suggests the program encouraged women to make more deliberate decisions about family planning.ImplicationsPrograms like MotherWise can improve certain outcomes of new and expectant mothers with low incomes by offering them HMRE services and other supports.

Individual-oriented relationship education and postpartum depression: The impact of the MotherWise program.

“…Of particular interest to the present study, the longer term follow-up data show that there was not a significant impact on depression one or two-and-a-half years after enrollment (Patnaik et al, 2022; Patnaik & Wood, 2021). However, postpartum depression symptoms are most likely to emerge in the first few weeks after delivery (American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2019; O’Hara & McCabe, 2013).…”

“…The developer reviewed approximately 5 hr of audiotape of Within My Reach workshop sessions every 2 weeks to identify topics to discuss during biweekly check-in meetings with the program director and facilitators. Patnaik and Wood (2021) reported that facilitators demonstrated high treatment adherence and fidelity to the program.…”

“…Further, MotherWise was associated with positive impacts on outcomes not directly targeted within the program, including lower risk for preterm birth and higher infant birthweight (Rhoades et al, 2022), as well as fewer unintended pregnancies in the year following enrollment (Patnaik & Wood, 2021).…”

“…However, postpartum depression symptoms are most likely to emerge in the first few weeks after delivery (American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2019; O’Hara & McCabe, 2013). Given that studies of relationship education have not evaluated postpartum depression symptoms during the early postpartum period (e.g., Devaney & Dion, 2010; Patnaik & Wood, 2021), the present study evaluated program effects on depression in the first 12 weeks following delivery.…”

Relationship education for women during pregnancy: The impact of MotherWise on birth outcomes

“…At 1-year after study enrollment, those assigned to the MotherWise program reported better relationship and conflict management skills, less approval of couple violence, greater relationship happiness, and more use of constructive conflict behaviors than those assigned to the no-treatment control group. In addition, those assigned to the MotherWise program had fewer unintended pregnancies in the year following enrollment than those in the control group (Patnaik & Wood, 2021). (For the current study, we used a subset of this sample and medical chart data collected independently.…”