Strengthening parent well‐being at the work—family interface: A German trial on workplace Triple P

Abstract

This study examines the efficacy of a parenting training (Workplace Triple P (WPTP)) especially designed for the needs of employed parents. The program aims to reduce stress at the work-parenting interface by targeting family risk and protective factors and assisting parents to manage competing work and family demands. Ninety-seven part-and full-time working parents (74 mothers and 23 fathers; intervention group: n ¼ 42 parents; waitlist-control group n ¼ 55 parents) from multiple organizations and multiple occupations with children between 2 and 10 years were randomly assigned to an intervention and a waitlist-control condition. After the training, parents from the intervention condition, compared to those from the waitlist-control condition, reported a significant reduction in individual and work-related stress. Additionally, they reported a significant reduction in dysfunctional parenting and significant higher levels of parental and occupational self-efficacy. Within the intervention condition all effects were maintained at the 3-and 6-month follow-up examinations. The findings support the notion that WPTP promotes parental well-being and reduces stress at the work-parenting interface. Given that strengthening parenting skills has the potential to strengthen work, strategies to implement WPTP in organizational resources and community-based services are discussed.

Stress Reduction at the Work-Family Interface: Positive Parenting and Self-Efficacy as Mechanisms of Change in Workplace Triple P

“…Furthermore, the training could also serve as an occupational stress management intervention (SMI). The effect sizes for stress reduction (IS: d = 0.58; work-related stress: d = 0.59; Hartung & Hahlweg, 2010) are comparable to the findings Richardson and Rothstein (2008) reported in their meta-analysis on the effects of occupational SMI programs. On average, they found medium to large effects.…”

“…Altogether, 137 parents signed up for the group training. The parents' progress through all phases of the randomized controlled trial is described in detail in Hartung and Hahlweg (2010). In the end, 117 parents participated and 97 completed and returned the pre-and posttest questionnaire package.…”

“…The program aims to reduce stress at the work-family interface by targeting family risk and protective factors, and assisting parents to manage competing work and family demands. WPTP has been evaluated in Australia and Germany, where results from randomized controlled trials indicate that the intervention reduces dysfunctional parenting (DP) behavior, enhances PSE, and reduces stress at the work-family interface (Hartung & Hahlweg, 2010;Haslam, Sanders, & Sofronoff, 2009;Martin & Sanders, 2003). This study focuses on possible mechanisms of change that account for the stress reduction effects of this parenting skills training at the work-family interface.…”

Changing Work and Work-Family Conflict

“… 2. A few randomized studies of work-family interventions have targeted employees’ coping and parenting skills, with interested individuals randomized to the intervention or a wait-list control (Hartung and Hahlweg 2010; Martin and Sanders 2003); these interventions offered training to individuals seeking help rather than attempting to change the workplace. …”

Engaging vulnerable populations in parent-led support groups: Testing a recruitment strategy

“…Child age may also influence parent engagement, as many PSGs and other parenting interventions are specifically designed to help parents with children of a particular age (Niela-Vilén, Axelin, Salanterä, & Melender, 2014). Employment may increase time constraints and stress among parents, making engagement in parenting interventions more difficult (Hartung & Hahlweg, 2010). Low socioeconomic status may create stressors in the lives of families that distract from both parenting and parenting intervention engagement (Coatsworth et al, 2006).…”