HSBC Malta Foundation supports ‘exceptional’ PhD study focused on parenting

The HSBC Malta Foundation has supported a PhD study entitled ‘Early co-parenting programmes with parents of infants with a highly reactive temperament: A randomised study using Parents as Partners (PasP).’

The study, executed by Ingrid Grech Lanfranco, aims to help Maltese-speaking parents communicate better with their infants. Its findings were discussed during a conference held at the Valletta Campus of the University of Malta last month.

“For HSBC Malta, supporting the younger generation has always been an important mission,” said the bank’s Head of Global Markets, Jesmond Apap.

“The bank has offered support in this regard across many fields, including, but not limited to, environmental protection, financial literary skills, and education in general. This exceptional study allows parents to gain an understanding on how to communicate better with each other and with their children,” Mr Apap continued.

Dr Grech Lanfranco’s study investigated the usefulness of the so-called ‘Parents as Partners’ co-parenting programme for parents who described their infants as having a highly-interactive temperament.

“Thanks to the HSBC Malta Foundation who sponsored my PhD study, I believe that this research provides crucial findings which will help us raise a happier, more successful younger generation,” the author said.

“Parents participating in the study reported less conflict in their relationship as a couple and more effective interaction with their child / children after participating in the Parents as Partners co-parenting programme, which was the intervention used in this study. The changes in the parenting relationship brought about more positive parent-child interactions as well as reduced adverse child reactivity,” Dr Grech Lanfranco concluded.

The study found that following specific training, parents learnt to use more effective parenting strategies, thus helping to reduce their infants’ levels of reactivity.