Research

Researchers have conducted a comprehensive synthesis of quantitative research studies to identify the types of programs that are most helpful to parents in reducing feelings of depression. This research often involves parents answering objective questions and researchers tallying the answers. You can learn about the findings of a quantitative study by clicking Research PowerPoint. That link includes narration by the lead researcher, George Singer. You can also get more detail about this study by clicking Synthesis of Quantitative Research

Another type of research is referred to as qualitative studies (studies that primarily use interviews and discussion groups to gather families’ perspectives). You can read the preliminary findings of a synthesis of qualitative research currently under way, related to the provision of parent-lead support by clicking Synthesis of Qualitative Research.

Programs that provide a one-to-one match between a support parent and referred parent are called Parent to Parent programs. A Multi-Site Quantitative Evaluation summarizes the findings of a quantitative research study conducted in 5 states on Parent to Parent programs. A Qualitative Study of Parent to Parent Programs provides in-depth family perspectives on what make Parent to Parent support especially helpful and what leads to it not being as helpful.

Both of these studies included parent leaders of Parent to Parent as equal partners in planning and implementing the research, as well as disseminating the findings. This approach of conducting research through partnerships between researchers and the people who are the intended beneficiaries of the research is called participatory action research. You can read an article about how state directors of Parent to Parent programs and researchers worked together to conduct the studies highlighed above by clicking Using Participant Action Research to Study Families.

You can also go to the Research section of Parent to Parent U.S.A.website to learn about the evidence-based practices Parent to Parent programs are implementing nationwide based on this research. 

In the Technical Assistance section of their website, you can read a summary of research on Parent to Parent that was conducted from 1988-2000 with the implications drawn for the development of new Parent to Parent programs.

[Parent to Parent Knowledge Bank     Experienced-based Knowledge    Research    Policy]