{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T10:00:35Z","timestamp":1785405635532,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":0,"publisher":"Cambridge University Press (CUP)","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,9]],"date-time":"2026-06-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1780963200000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":159,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["cambridge.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Camb. prisms Glob. ment. health"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>Adolescent marriage and early childbearing remain common in rural Pakistan, yet few interventions support young couples transitioning into parenthood. This study explores the perceived impact and implementation of preparing for parenthood (PPP), a life skills intervention designed for married adolescents and their families. A qualitative design explored participants\u2019 and delivery agents\u2019 experiences of PPP. Data were collected through 12 in-depth interviews and 4 focus group discussions with married adolescent women, spouses, family members and programme trainers. Thematic analysis was used. PPP was perceived as relevant, acceptable and empowering. Participants reported improved core life skills; communication, emotional regulation, problem-solving and decision-making that enhanced their confidence and preparedness for parenting. Home-based delivery by trusted female trainers and recruitment via community health workers supported engagement in mobility-restrictive, patriarchal settings. Challenges included limited male participation, family gatekeeping and the burden of domestic work. Participants suggested adaptations such as mobile content, male facilitators and media-based delivery to overcome these barriers. This study highlights the value of life skills interventions in equipping married adolescent women with socioemotional competencies necessary for effective parenting. Home-based, culturally grounded models paired with flexible, gender-sensitive approaches can foster empowerment and improve outcomes in low-resource, gender-restrictive settings.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1017\/gmh.2026.10240","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,9]],"date-time":"2026-06-09T13:27:33Z","timestamp":1781011653000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1017\/policypage","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["\u201c\n                    <i>I was told to live happily\u2026 without telling me how<\/i>\n                    \u201d: Lived experiences of married adolescents, their spouses and families with a life skills intervention in rural Pakistan \u2013 A qualitative study"],"prefix":"10.1017","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9540-9356","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Najia","family":"Atif","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/055g9vf08","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Human Development Research Foundation"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Syed Usman","family":"Hamdani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/021p6rb08","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Zill-e-","family":"Huma","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/021p6rb08","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Maria","family":"Kanwal","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/055g9vf08","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Human Development Research Foundation"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ahmreen","family":"Kaukab","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/055g9vf08","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Human Development Research Foundation"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mahjabeen","family":"Tariq","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/055g9vf08","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Human Development Research Foundation"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2066-4467","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Atif","family":"Rahman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/04xs57h96","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"University of Liverpool"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"56","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,9]]},"container-title":["Cambridge Prisms: Global Mental Health"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/core\/services\/aop-cambridge-core\/content\/view\/S2054425126102404","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,29]],"date-time":"2026-07-29T07:59:07Z","timestamp":1785311947000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/core\/product\/identifier\/S2054425126102404\/type\/journal_article"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026]]},"references-count":0,"alternative-id":["S2054425126102404"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1017\/gmh.2026.10240","relation":{"has-review":[{"id-type":"doi","id":"10.1017\/gmh.2026.10240.pr1","asserted-by":"object"},{"id-type":"doi","id":"10.1017\/gmh.2026.10240.pr5","asserted-by":"object"},{"id-type":"doi","id":"10.1017\/gmh.2026.10240.pr4","asserted-by":"object"},{"id-type":"doi","id":"10.1017\/gmh.2026.10240.pr3","asserted-by":"object"},{"id-type":"doi","id":"10.1017\/gmh.2026.10240.pr2","asserted-by":"object"},{"id-type":"doi","id":"10.1017\/gmh.2026.10240.pr9","asserted-by":"object"},{"id-type":"doi","id":"10.1017\/gmh.2026.10240.pr8","asserted-by":"object"},{"id-type":"doi","id":"10.1017\/gmh.2026.10240.pr7","asserted-by":"object"},{"id-type":"doi","id":"10.1017\/gmh.2026.10240.pr6","asserted-by":"object"}]},"ISSN":["2054-4251"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2054-4251","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026]]},"assertion":[{"value":"\u00a9 The Author(s), 2026. Published by Cambridge University Press","name":"copyright","label":"Copyright","group":{"name":"copyright_and_licensing","label":"Copyright and Licensing"}},{"value":"This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution and reproduction, provided the original article is properly cited.","name":"license","label":"License","group":{"name":"copyright_and_licensing","label":"Copyright and Licensing"}},{"value":"This content has been made available to all.","name":"free","label":"Free to read"}],"article-number":"e162"}}