This study utilized a quasi-experimental, pretest–posttest design to evaluate the effectiveness of a community-based program (Power of Dad; POD) for promoting inner-city, low-income, fatherless boys’ psychosocial well-being. This program provides these boys with a 5-month experiential curriculum that includes psychological health and social skills. Graduates from the program were compared to a control group from the same community in terms of pretest–posttest differences in four psychosocial outcomes: self-esteem, overall quality of life, mother–adolescent closeness, and attitude toward physical dating violence. The findings suggest that the program had positive effects on closeness with the mother and the overall quality of life for inner-city, low-income, fatherless boys who completed the program. Implications of the findings and future research directions are discussed.

本研究采用准实验、前测-后测设计来评估基于社区的计划（爸爸的力量；POD）对于促进内城区、低收入、失去父亲的男孩的社会心理健康的有效性。该计划为这些男孩提供为期 5 个月的体验课程，其中包括心理健康和社交技能。该项目的毕业生与来自同一社区的对照组在四种心理社会结果方面进行了前后测试的差异比较：自尊、整体生活质量、母亲与青少年的亲密程度以及对身体约会暴力的态度。研究结果表明，该计划对完成该计划的内城区低收入无父男孩与母亲的亲密关系以及整体生活质量产生了积极影响。讨论了研究结果的意义和未来的研究方向。