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Engaging mothers in supporting husbands’ fatherhood in Chinese families - a co-parenting intervention group
Author(s)
Date Issued
2026
Citation
Tsang, W. H. (27 Mar 2026). Engaging mothers in supporting husbands’ fatherhood in Chinese families - a co-parenting intervention group. 2026 The International Family Therapy Association Congress, Bergen, Norway.
Type
Conference Paper
Abstract
This is a pioneering project called 'CO-MUST', which is a co-parenting intervention group launched in Hong Kong. CO-MUST was designed to engage mothers in supporting their husbands in adopting positive co-parenting. The CO-MUST intervention protocol, clinical cases and outcomes will be presented in the presentation.
Mothers' engagement with their husbands in co-parenting is an important agenda for promoting family well-being. This is a pioneering project called 'CO-MUST', which is a co-parenting intervention group launched in Hong Kong. CO-MUST was designed to engage mothers in supporting their husbands in adopting positive fatherhood in co-parenting. It adopts a psycho-educational format, led by two trained group facilitators. The CO-MUST intervention protocol will be presented with clinical cases will be discussed in the presentation. Interactive exercises related to CO-MUST will be shared in the workshop. Forty mothers from kindergarten and primary schools participated in the CO-MUST intervention groups from September 2023 to June 2024. A mixed research approach was adopted to evaluate the outcomes. Quasi-experimental design was used to measure changes in some psychometric variables before and after their participation in the group. Focus groups were also conducted to explore the in-depth experiences of including their husbands in co-parenting. When comparing with the control group, CO-MUST intervention group was found to be effective in enhancing mothers' behavior of accepting and recognizing their husbands' roles and performance in parenting. Besides, the groups could enhance mothers’ parenting efficacy, reduce parenting stress and psychological distress, and promote the couple's relationship. The findings also concluded that mothers' inclusion and acceptance of fathers in co-parenting contribute to positive outcomes in enhancing and supporting fathers' involvement in co-parenting.
Mothers' engagement with their husbands in co-parenting is an important agenda for promoting family well-being. This is a pioneering project called 'CO-MUST', which is a co-parenting intervention group launched in Hong Kong. CO-MUST was designed to engage mothers in supporting their husbands in adopting positive fatherhood in co-parenting. It adopts a psycho-educational format, led by two trained group facilitators. The CO-MUST intervention protocol will be presented with clinical cases will be discussed in the presentation. Interactive exercises related to CO-MUST will be shared in the workshop. Forty mothers from kindergarten and primary schools participated in the CO-MUST intervention groups from September 2023 to June 2024. A mixed research approach was adopted to evaluate the outcomes. Quasi-experimental design was used to measure changes in some psychometric variables before and after their participation in the group. Focus groups were also conducted to explore the in-depth experiences of including their husbands in co-parenting. When comparing with the control group, CO-MUST intervention group was found to be effective in enhancing mothers' behavior of accepting and recognizing their husbands' roles and performance in parenting. Besides, the groups could enhance mothers’ parenting efficacy, reduce parenting stress and psychological distress, and promote the couple's relationship. The findings also concluded that mothers' inclusion and acceptance of fathers in co-parenting contribute to positive outcomes in enhancing and supporting fathers' involvement in co-parenting.
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