Alone Mothers Together Project

Overview

BACKGROUND

• Lone mothers and their children are at increased risk of a range of psychosocial difficulties, including maternal depression, and child emotional and behavioural disorders, including conduct disorder, hyperactivity and other anti-social behaviours. Lone mothers are also more likely to be poor, have less education and be less inclined to access community health care services than other mothers.
• The Alone Mothers Together (Lone Mothers) Project, led by child psychiatrist and Offord Centre researcher Ellen Lipman, examines whether community-based support/education groups for lone mothers can improve their maternal wellbeing and/or parenting.

ABOUT THE PROJECT

• The Alone Mothers Together Project is a 10-week community-based program (1 1/2 hours per week) for lone mothers of 3- to 9-year-olds in Hamilton, Ontario.
• Lone mothers participate in group sessions, where they discuss issues important to them as individuals (social isolation, low income, dealing with ex-partners, etc.), as well as issues related to their children (child development, behaviour management, etc.).
• A parallel children’s group program focuses on literacy, fine and gross motor skills, and social skills.
• Evaluations are completed before and after the group sessions, and 3 months and 6 months later, and are focused on changes in maternal wellbeing (social support, mood, self-esteem), parenting and child psychosocial functioning.

RESULTS

• Lone mothers who participated in the project reported significantly improved mood and self-esteem after the group sessions compared with lone mothers who did not participate. The participating mothers also showed greater improvement in parenting, although the difference was not significant.
• Of the participating children, those aged 4-10 showed significant improvement in indirect aggression (behaviours such as spreading gossip, excluding someone from a group, or setting up another child for rejection or punishment) compared to the non-participating children. There was also greater, though less significant, improvement in all other behavioral outcomes.
• These early positive findings indicate that community intervention can improve the mental and emotional health of lone mothers and their children. Funding is now being sought to replicate the program in other communities.