A Brief Multimedia Intervention for the Transition to Parenthood: A Stage I Pilot Trial

The transition to parenthood is one of the most difficult transitions that couples experience. Couples in this developmental stage often report increased stress and decreased relationship satisfaction. Prior research demonstrates that interventions can successfully improve relationship satisfaction during the transition to parenthood, but existing interventions have traditionally required lengthy time commitments and in-person attendance which is not always feasible for expecting and new parents. In turn, we developed and evaluated a brief multimedia intervention for couples during the prenatal phase using a multi-method analytical approach. Quantitative findings of 55 participants indicate those exposed to the intervention had higher levels of knowledge of expected changes to couple relationships. Qualitative thematic analysis findings suggested that participants found the intervention helpful and were likely to discuss the information with their partner and apply the skills in their relationship. Findings also indicated ways in which the brief intervention could be improved in future research. Overall, findings provide preliminary support for the brief multimedia intervention.