Group interventions to strengthen the social support network of parents living in a context of vulnerability during the period of perinatality and early childhood

This synthesis paints a portrait of knowledge on group interventions promoting the strengthening of the social support network of parents living in a context of vulnerability during the period of perinatality and early childhood. A literature review was conducted to:

• to analyze the effectiveness of group interventions, according to their characteristics and the different dimensions of the parents’ social support network;
• to identify the factors facilitating or constraining their success.

The review of the scientific literature identified shows that:

• Group interventions are effective in strengthening parents’ social support network.
• The positive effects of group interventions that target, reach or are evaluated among pregnant women and mothers are better known. The state of current knowledge does not allow us to come to a conclusion with certainty on the effects of the participation of the fathers or of both parents.
• Group interventions likely to have positive effects on parents’ social support network have the following characteristics:
  • Be implemented after the child’s arrival;
  • Have an intensity of at least one weekly meeting lasting two hours;
  • Provide facilitation by a trained speaker.
• The effects of strengthening the parents’ social support network vary according to the dimensions of the social support network studied. The positive effects documented relate more to the social network, the social support and the social contacts of the parents.
• The facilitating or constraining factors to be considered in the success of group interventions are at several levels (families, interveners, intervention, community).
• The results suggest four major implications for practice:
  • Consider group interventions to strengthen the social support network of pregnant women and mothers with young children;
  • Prioritize group interventions that have certain characteristics that contribute to positive effects on the parents’ social support network;
  • Take into account the fact that group interventions do not necessarily act on all dimensions of the parents’ social support network;
  • Act at many levels to influence the success of group interventions.