Experiences of parents living with mental distres

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Accessing child development services: the experiences of parents living with mental distress.

• IRAS ID

  282618

• Contact name

  Elaine Walls

• Contact email

  elaine2.walls@northumbria.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  northumbria university

• Duration of Study in the UK

  0 years, 6 months, 2 days

• Research summary

  This study aims to look at the experiences of parents who suffer mental distress while caring for a pre school child and what factors contribute to difficulties with engagement with child development services. The current literature indicates that children living with parents affected by mental distress may experience adverse consequences in emotional and physical development. It is also known that this impact can be directly mitigated of the parent accesses and engages with support from child development services. What we do not know is why some parents do not engage with child development services and what is required to address this. This study aims to ask people who hold the answer to this question, parents of pre school children who experience mental distress and whom are not engaging with child development services.

  Participants will be recruited through Northumbria Healthcare Trust. Recruitment will be considered using several possible avenues, accessed through trusted sources such as GP’s, CPN’s, and HV’s via letters, text messages. Social media and tertiary agencies will be considered as a secondary measure should recruitment be challenging.
  A sample size of around 10 parental care givers is anticipated.
  Inclusion criteria for Parent Participant's‐Preschool child ‐Known to services as living with mental distress ‐Poor engagement with child health services
  Exclusion criteria ‐ Experiencing current mental health crisis ‐ Lacking mental capacity ‐ child who is not pre-school age ‐ attends all child development appointments

  Participants will be interviewed in local service buildings such as health centres, sure starts, libraries.
  The interviews will last approximately one hour each and be conducted by a trained researcher. A period of 6-12 months is anticipated for data collection.

  This study aims to provide empirical information that can contribute to future service development and delivery, providing a tailored needs led service that reaches these children and families, improving child development outcomes.

• REC name

  HSC REC B

• REC reference

  21/NI/0020

• Date of REC Opinion

  18 Mar 2021

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion