Beyond quality time: evaluating an intervention for Emotional Availability in working families

The demanding nature of modern work often depletes the emotional resources of working parents, potentially compromising the quality of parent-child interactions. This study evaluates the efficacy of a targeted intervention designed to improve emotional availability (EA), the capacity for responsive and attuned connections in working families. Utilizing a pre-post design with a control group, participants engaged in a program focused on mindfulness and attunement skills. 30 families were selected by purposive sampling technique. The Emotional Availability was assessed for both father and mother by using Emotional Availability scale developed by Lum in 2005. The intervention study was carried out in Bapatla district of Bapatla mandala. Results indicate a significant increase in parental Emotional Availability, demonstrating the intervention’s effectiveness in strengthening parent-child relationships beyond the concept of mere “quality time.