An evaluation study on the Holistic Parent Counselling education and support Program for drug -abusing parent---- by Comprehensive Child Development Service in Kowloon East Cluster in collaboration with local resources

Abstract Description

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Authors (including presenting author) :

Cheng WFA (1), IP LS (2), Chan LWC (3), Leung CWJ (3), Mok WSJ (4), Chiu WK (1)

Affiliation :

(1) Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, United Christian Hospital (2) Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, United Christian Hospital (3) Department of Psychiatry, Kowloon East Cluster (4) Department of Clinical Psychology, Kowloon East Cluster

Introduction :

With collaboration with Hong Kong Lutheran Social Service and the Department of Social Work of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Comprehensive Child Development (CCDS) in Kowloon East Cluster offered an integrated program with the emphasis on parent counseling, parent education groups and parent support network for the expectant mothers with illicit drug use. Expectant mothers were engaged in antenatal period by CCDS midwife and the growth and development of born child were continuously assessed by CCDS Paediatrician coincided with his vaccination appointment in Maternal and Child Health Center. An existential approach, a narrative approach and a transformative approach were the interventions to assist parenting in the recruited group by the social workers.

Objectives :

Abusing drugs can compromise parents’ motivation and ability to perform the parental role. With critical psychological components for effective treatment and supportive programs for drug-abusing parents on good-enough parenting, parents can be facilitated to actualize their inherent potentials to maintain healthy and meaningful relationships with their children. CCDS can further identify the children’s development problems and provide timely assessment. This study explore the effect of parenting intervention can increase the parenting confidence and efficacy using validated questionnaire.

Methodology :

Total 65 mothers were successfully recruited from September 2015 to June 2018. 90% of these mothers were below 32 years of age and 44% were unmarried. Amphetamine was the commonest type of illicit drug being used. Around 40% were having mental disorders.68 children were born to 65 mothers, around 90% were under the age of 3 during the period of study.13% of children were born with low birth eight and 13% were preterm delivery.

Result & Outcome :

80% of mothers abstained from drug use in their pregnancies. A single group pretest-posttest design was used to assess parental stress, parental satisfaction and parental efficacy. 57 cases were evaluated. The post-test mean score of parental efficacy (M= 34.21) was found to be significantly higher than pretest mean score (M= 31.86), p< 0.01. Among the participants who had completed at least 4 sessions of the parent support and education groups, the posttest mean score of confidence in parenting (M= 46.71) was found to be significantly higher than the pretest mean score (M= 35.29), p=0.01. 98% of their children received their immunization at MCHC as scheduled time. 90% of the children could return home and cared by parents or grandparents. 17.6% of children were identified to have developmental issues requiring further assessment or intervention.