Enhancing maternal sensitivity in contexts of urban extreme poverty in Sierra Leone: A pilot study

Abstract This pilot study presents preliminary data on the efficacy of Strong Bonds, Strong Pikin (SBSP), a brief intervention program that aims to enhance sensitivity among mothers who care for their preschool children in a slum settlement in Freetown (Sierra Leone). SBSP adapts principles of attachment theory to intervention within a non‐Western cultural setting, where families suffer from extreme poverty. A combination of psychoeducation, group work, video‐feedback, and storytelling defines the methodology of the program. Maternal sensitivity, parenting stress, and the use of violent discipline practices were measured before (pretest) and after the intervention (posttest) in a sample of 43 mothers who participated in the program. Analyses showed a significant increase in observed maternal sensitivity, as well as a decrease in mother‐reported parenting stress, child problems, and use of violent discipline practices from pretest to posttest. These results are discussed in terms of the potential value of culturally sensitive, attachment‐centered interventions with caregivers who raise their children in non‐Western settings affected by economic vulnerability.