Our scientific objectives

General objectives 

• Our first objective is to develop, implement and evaluate an innovative support meeting program for adults who have experienced adverse life events as children and who are expecting a child. We will evaluate whether our program enhances the physical and psychological health of the participants, as well as their child’s development one year after birth.
• The second objective of our Project STEP is to inform practitioners as well as the community about  challenges of parenthood following adverse life experiences during childhood. Knowledge transfer activities will include the development of two intervention manuals (a manual for future mothers and a manual for future fathers), information on our website on challenges of parenthood following difficult experiences, as well as a questionnaire to evaluate the knowledge of practitioners about abuse and neglect. We are also developing information pamphlets for parents and professionals on interpersonal traumas.
• Our third objective is to establish a connection between the different levels of clinical and community services offered to adults expecting a child, in order to establish a new collaboration model that will facilitate the identification of parents who had a difficult life path during childhood. We are trying to reach consensus on new clinical strategies aimed at promoting health among this population.
• The fourth objective of Project STEP is to provide scientific evidence regarding the effectiveness of the STEP intervention based on comprehensive assessments and clear performance indicators, in order to support the implementation of the program in a sustainable and effective manner. 

Specific objectives                                                                                                                                       

• We wish to better understand the mechanisms supporting adaptation to parenthood in adults who have experienced adverse life events during their childhood.

• Furthermore, one of our main goals is to offer support adapted to the needs of adults exposed to adverse life experiences, as they become parents.

• The STEP team wishes to inform healthcare professionals of the complexity of the problems faced by parents expecting a child and who have experienced adverse life events.