Longitudinal Effects of Co-Parenting for Successful Kids: Using Mixed-Effects Models

Co-parenting education aims to help divorced or separated parents continue to raise their children together by reducing their conflicts and stressors. Examining the longitudinal effects of the Co-Parenting for Successful Kids (CPSK) program on parental outcomes, this study aims to extend the current knowledge and evidence of co-parenting education and provide implications for evidence-based practice. We repeatedly measured the parental outcomes in a sample of 236 participants. At the baseline and one-, three-, and six-month follow-ups, we assessed parenting stress, parenting self-efficacy, parental anger, and co-parenting quality. The study used mixed-effects regression modeling to estimate the longitudinal effects—immediate (one-month), short-term (three-month), and intermediate (six-month) effects—of the program, after controlling for the effects of participants’ individual and family characteristics. Results indicated that the parental outcomes overall improved after completion of the program; however, the program impact attenuated over time. The CPSK program was found to have (a) immediate, short-term, and intermediate effects on parenting stress; (b) short-term effects on parenting self-efficacy; and (c) immediate, short-term, and intermediate effects on parental anger. In this sample dataset, there were no significant longitudinal effects on the quality of the co-parenting relationship. The findings suggest that the CPSK curriculum is effective in reducing parenting stress, increasing parental self-efficacy, and decreasing parental anger over time. Future programs are needed to promote co-parenting relationships and child developmental outcomes, along with more intensive interventions for high-conflict or uninvolved parents.