Helping families help themselves: The (Un)intended impacts of a digital parenting program

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Amaral, Sofia; Dinarte-Diaz, Lelys; Dominguez, Patricio; Perez-Vincent, Santiago M.
• 署名单位: Leibniz Association; Ifo Institut; Leibniz Association; Ifo Institut; IZA Institute Labor Economics; Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile; Inter-American Development Bank
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0304-3878
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jdeveco.2023.103181
• 发表日期: 2024
• 关键词: Mental health; Positive parenting; Parental stress; Child maltreatment

摘要

Parenting practices play a crucial role in child development. We evaluate the impact of a free digital stress management and positive parenting intervention designed to improve caregiver's mental health and positive caregiver-child interactions in El Salvador. Drawing on the prior success of in-person interventions, we study the effects of digital intervention delivery and examine differential treatment effects by caregiver's sex. Using an individual-level experiment, we find that the intervention increased stress and anxiety and lowered caregiver- child interactions among male caregivers. In contrast, among female caregivers, we did not detect changes in mental health and observed a decrease in the use of physical violence against children. We also find that family structure and the severity of economic deprivation greatly moderated the intervention's impact, especially among male caregivers. Our findings indicate that one-size-fits-all digital parenting interventions may not serve all caregivers effectively, emphasizing the need for thorough evaluations prior to extensive implementation.