Meta-Analytic Review of Family-Based Prevention Programs in Germany

Background. In Germany, family counseling or education centers and other institutions offer a broad range of family-based prevention programs. Although international research shows positive effects of family-based prevention programs on parenting skills and child behavior, it is unclear whether these results can be generalized for countries other than Germany. Objective. This article presents a meta-analysis of German studies on family-based prevention that had a control group. Method. We found 45 controlled evaluations that met our eligibility criteria, comprising 4,213 persons. Most evaluations addressed parent trainings; other measures such as mother child groups or prenatal classes were represented very little. Results. Overall, there was a significant positive mean effect of the programs (d = .35), which was confirmed in the follow-up analyses. Effects on parenting skills were larger than on child outcome measures. Further moderator analyses revealed larger effects of targeted vs. universal prevention, of studies with smaller vs. larger samples, and of methodologically weaker vs. stronger designs. Conclusions. Most results were similar to what was found in international meta-analyses. However, more high-quality and long-term evaluations are needed in Germany.