The Effect of a Group Counseling Program for Problem-Solving on the Child-Rearing Stress and Parenting Efficacy among Mothers of Infants

Background/Objectives: The objective of this study is to verify the effect of a group counseling program for problem-solving on the child-rearing stress and parenting efficacy among mothers of infants. Methods/Statistical analysis: To verify the effect of a group counseling program for problem-solving, the following hypotheses have been established and tested based on the theoretical background and existing researches: First, a group counseling program for problem-solving will reduce the child-rearing stress among mothers of infants. Second, a group counseling program for problem-solving will improve the parenting efficacy among mothers of infants. Among 20 applicants for a group counseling program for problem-solving, 10 were chosen at random for the control group, and the other 10 for the experiment group respectively for a preliminary test. The experiment group went through the group counseling program for problem-solving 8 times in total, twice a week for 90 minutes at a time. The measurement tools used in this study include the maternal stress scale and maternal efficacy scale, all of which use a five-point basis Likert-type rating scale. To analyze test results, the independent t-test and non-parametric statistical analysis (Wicoxon Matched-Pairs Signed-Ranks Test) were conducted by means of SPSS 19.0 program. Findings: First, it turned out that the group counseling program for problem-solving was effective in reducing the child-rearing stress among mothers of infants. Second, it turned out that the group counseling program for problem-solving was effective in improving the parenting efficacy among mothers of infants. Improvements/Applications: The group counseling program for problem-solving has proved to be effective in reducing the child-rearing stress among mothers of infants and improving their parenting efficacy.