The effectiveness of the SATIR approach on parent-child attachment among adolescent mothers: a before-after study

Abstract

Background: Mother–child attachment is influenced by various factors, particularly social norms. It’s crucial to consider the impact of cultural contexts and societal expectations on parent-child attachment. Objective: The study investigated the influence of counseling based on SATIR’s theory on parent-child attachment in Iranian adolescent mothers. Methods: The study adopts a before-after design. It involves 33 adolescent mothers and their husbands. They received 6 sessions of counseling based on SATIR’s approach. Data were collected using the Maternal Postnatal Attachment Scale (MPAS) in the pretest, post-test, and 6 weeks after the end of the counseling sessions. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and repeated measures ANOVA at a 95% confidence level. Results: The mean total score of the MPAS was 68.75 ± 7.7 in the pretest, 75.17 ± 6.44 in the post-test, and 77.75 ± 6.12 in the follow-up period which has increased over time (p = 0.001). The repeated measures ANOVA demonstrated the effectiveness of the intervention in enhancing overall attachment scores (59%) and the subscales of ‘quality of attachment’ by 56%, ‘absence of hostility’ by 21%, and ‘pleasure in interaction’ by 27%. Conclusion: The study shows that using the SATIR approach effectively improves mother-child attachment in adolescent mothers after giving birth. Also, involving spouses in postpartum counseling programs seems to be a helpful strategy, indicating it should be taken into account by professionals in this area.