Parent–Infant Group Therapy to Interrupt Intergenerational Patterns of Abuse: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Resilient Roots
Parenting is shaped in part by experiences that began long before a child was born. Caregivers who experienced abuse, trauma, or harmful parenting during their own childhoods may enter parenthood with a desire to create something different while also navigating situations for which they had few positive models. Research on intergenerational transmission suggests that both harmful and supportive patterns of parenting can carry across generations, making the transition to parenthood an important period for understanding how these patterns may be interrupted.
In the MRI-funded project Parent–Infant Group Therapy to Interrupt Intergenerational Patterns of Abuse: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Resilient Roots, Dr. Adi Rosenthal, Dr. Maria-Ernestina Christl, and Dr. Galena Rhoades (Thriving Families and the University of Denver) are evaluating a trauma-informed group intervention designed to help caregivers examine how their own histories may influence their current relationships with their children.
Resilient Roots integrates trauma processing, parenting education, and child-safety strategies within a supportive group setting. Rather than focusing exclusively on current parenting behavior, the intervention invites caregivers to reflect on how they themselves were parented, identify patterns they want to retain or change, and consider how trauma-related experiences and beliefs may emerge in interactions with their children.
Across ten sessions, caregivers participate in psychoeducation, guided discussion, and workbook activities addressing trauma and parenting, caregiver stress and well-being, children’s socioemotional and safety needs, parent–child attunement, and strategies for preventing and responding to abuse. The program is based on the premise that reducing intergenerational risk requires attending simultaneously to caregivers’ own experiences and to the relationships they are developing with their children.
Building on earlier pilot work, the MRI-funded study uses a randomized waitlist-controlled design to evaluate Resilient Roots more rigorously. The researchers are examining whether participation is associated with increased child safety, improved parent–child relationships, and greater caregiver well-being. The study also assesses the feasibility and acceptability of delivering the intervention in a community setting serving families experiencing elevated levels of stress and other barriers.
Quantitative outcome measures are complemented by qualitative feedback from participants and facilitators. This mixed-methods approach allows the research team to examine not only whether changes occur, but how caregivers experience the intervention, which components they find most useful or difficult, and what factors influence their ability to participate and apply what they have learned.
During the MRI grant period, 59 caregivers consented to participate and were randomized, with 33 assigned to the intervention and 26 to the waitlist condition. Five Resilient Roots groups were conducted—three with English-speaking caregivers and two with Spanish-speaking caregivers—and 112 pre- and post-program surveys were completed. Data collection is continuing as the research team works toward its target sample of 80 caregivers.
The qualitative component will provide additional insight into how the intervention operates in practice. Participant focus groups will explore perceived benefits and challenges, skills acquired through the program, the extent to which Resilient Roots addressed caregivers’ needs, and barriers to attendance or engagement. Interviews with facilitators will examine their experiences delivering the intervention, fidelity to its content and structure, implementation challenges, and potential areas for refinement.
Because the randomized trial remains underway, conclusions about the intervention’s efficacy cannot yet be drawn. The next phase of the project includes completing quantitative data collection, conducting interviews with approximately seven facilitators and focus groups with an anticipated 15–20 participants, and integrating the quantitative and qualitative findings.
The project’s systemic significance lies in treating intergenerational patterns not as fixed characteristics transmitted from parent to child, but as relational processes that may be modified. Caregivers’ earlier experiences can influence expectations, emotional responses, and patterns of interaction in the present, while new experiences of reflection, support, and connection may create opportunities for different responses.
By examining whether these patterns can be interrupted within the developing caregiver–child relationship, Resilient Roots contributes to a relational understanding of intergenerational resilience. The study asks not only how experiences of trauma may be carried forward, but how families may begin to establish different patterns of safety, responsiveness, and connection for the next generation.