News from PALME – effect of an structured attachment oriented parental training for single mothers

Aims: In Germany 2004 lived 2.3 million single parents with children under 18 years (81% of them single mothers). Single mothers are exposed to an enhanced risk of depression, which interferes with parental competences (1, 2). In Germany exist no evaluated intervention programs for depressive single mothers. Method: We developed an emotion focussing and attachment oriented parental training program for single mothers (3, 4). This manualised group intervention contains 20 sessions, which are realized by trained male and female kindergarten nurses. The effect on maternal psychological impairment and emotional functioning was investigated within a RCT study. Meanwhile the third measurement (t3) was carried out six months after the intervention. Results: Satisfaction of the participating single mothers with treatment was high. The treatment group showed a time stable significant reduction of psychic impairment, depression and a improved emotional regulation compared to controls. The children showed an improvement of behaviour regulation. Conclusion: The parental training effected a stable reduction of maternal depression and a better emotional functioning. This can be seen as precondition for the stabilisation of parental skills, which is protective for the child. This view was supported by improvement of behaviour regulation of the children in the intervention group. The group manual of PALME is now available for preventive parental trainings in community settings.

Literatur: (1) Franz M, Lensche H (2003): Alleinerziehend – alleingelassen? Die psychosoziale Beeinträchtigung alleinerziehender Mütter und ihrer Kinder in einer Bevölkerungsstichprobe. Zsch. Psychosom. Med. 49: 115-138 (2) Franz M, Lensche H, Schmitz N (2003): Psychological distress and socioeconomic status in single mothers and their children in a German city. Soc. Psychiatry Psychiatr. Epidemiol. 38: 59-68 (3) Lensche H, Junkert-Tress B, Franz M (2003): Konzept und Evaluation einer supportiven Gruppen-Kurzintervention für alleinerziehende Mütter. Gruppenpsychother. Gruppendynamik 39: 340-361 (4) www.palme-elterntraining.de

Single mothers - depression - parental training - attachment oriented - prevention