| Abstract: | A variety of programs have been developed to provide support and education for new parents. This article analyzes underlying issues in, and common problems of, parent-infant support groups. The Family Development Parenting Groups are described to illustrate typical findings of very positive feelings of participants toward the groups, but few objective effects of participation on adjustment or family functioning. The analysis suggests the importance of coordinating the type of goals of the program with (a) the needs of participants; (b) the implementation strategies; and (c) the measurement of positive and negative effects. The need to clarify the operationalization of support and to specifically measure the behavioral processes and effects of support is emphasized.A shorter version of this essay was presented as part of the symposium,  Increasing the Effectiveness of Parent-Infant Support Programs, presented at the biennial meeting of the Society for Research on Child Development, Boston, April, 1981. Appreciation is expressed to the many people who worked with the project, to the parents and babies who participated, and to Ben Gottlieb and anonymous reviewers for their comments. Dr. Wandersman is Assistant Professor of Preventive Medicine and Community Health and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina 29208. |
