The effect of telephone-based cognitive-behavioural therapy on parenting stress: A randomised controlled trial

Objective Stress related to parenting has detrimental effects on the well-being of children, parents and the family system as a whole. There are limited studies about the efficacy of cognitive-behavioural therapy delivered by telephone in reducing parenting stress. The present study investigates the effect of telephone-based cognitive-behavioural therapy on parenting stress at six weeks and six months postpartum. Methods: This is a multi-site randomised controlled trial. A total of 397 Chinese mothers at risk of postnatal depression were randomly assigned to receive either telephone-based cognitive-behavioural therapy or routine postpartum care. Parental stress was assessed by the Parenting Stress Index Short Form at six weeks and six months postpartum. Results: The findings revealed that mothers who had received telephone-based cognitive-behavioural therapy showed significantly lower levels of parenting stress than women only receiving routine postpartum care at six weeks (mean difference = 9.42, 95% confidence interval 5.85-12.99, p < 0.001, Cohen's d = 0.52) and six months postpartum (mean difference = 3.58, 95% confidence interval 0.07-7.09, p = 0.046, Cohen's d = 020). Conclusion: Telephone-based cognitive-behavioural therapy is a promising treatment modality for supporting parenting and reducing stress during the transition period. Integration of telephone-based cognitive behavioural therapy into routine postpartum care might facilitate positive adaptation in particular for mothers at risk of postnatal depression. (C) 2016 Published by Elsevier Inc.