Attachment Insecurity and Coparenting Relationships: An Exploration of the Effects of a Couple-Based Intervention for New Parents

Despite extensive research about adult attachment insecurity in romantic relationships and parenting behaviors, there is a noticeable gap in the literature regarding the association between prenatal attachment insecurity and establishing postnatal coparenting relationships among new parents. While recent empirical studies have shown an increasing interest in this area, research investigating the moderation on the association between attachment insecurity and coparenting relationships through preventative intervention remains limited. This study aims to investigate if a preventative couple-focused intervention can reduce the negative effects of attachment insecurity on coparenting relationship quality. Using data from 574 new parents living in the United States, this study compares the relationship between attachment insecurity and perceived coparenting quality between the intervention and control groups. Each parent completed a pretest questionnaire before childbirth and a posttest questionnaire approximately 1 year postpartum. Multilevel model results demonstrate that new parents with higher levels of attachment avoidance in the control group, but not in the intervention group, tended to report lower quality of coparenting. This study suggests that a couple-focused preventative intervention can benefit new parents transitioning into parenthood, especially those with higher levels of attachment avoidance. Future research may consider how to best help new parents depending on the degree and type of attachment insecurity.