The Effectiveness of Interventions Targeting Interparental Conflict in Improving Family Outcomes: A Systematic Review

Abstract Conflict is a universal feature of relationships, but when certain behaviours become highly frequent and intense, they can have lasting negative consequences. For co-parenting adults, such conflict can impact parental wellbeing, child adjustment, and social development. To counter these effects, several parenting interventions targeting interparental conflict (IPC) have been developed with the aim of enhancing family outcomes. However, the effectiveness of these interventions remains somewhat ambiguous. A comprehensive understanding of the existing evidence is pivotal to guide the implementation of such programmes and foster future intervention development. We conducted a systematic review to investigate the effectiveness of parenting interventions in enhancing IPC, parenting behaviour, and child outcomes. We considered all relevant evidence published up until October 2024. The literature suggests that parenting interventions targeting IPC can be especially effective in reducing IPC when implemented in a group format. A subset of the reviewed interventions appears to effectively improve various family outcomes, including IPC, child adjustment and behavioural difficulties, and negative parenting practices. The initial results indicate that various parenting interventions can be successful in mitigating IPC and augmenting family outcomes. However, due to the limited available evidence, we cannot make definitive conclusions. Additional research is needed to broaden the literature regarding the use of these interventions across diverse populations and age groups, and to verify the evidence put forth in this review. The article also discusses several gaps in the current evidence and offers considerations for future intervention development and evaluation.