Experiences of parents of child trauma survivors
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Parents of child trauma survivors accessing services: exploring parents' experiences
IRAS ID
246480
Contact name
Matthias Schwannauer
Contact email
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
N/A, N/A
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 2 months, 25 days
Research summary
The aim of this research is to a) better understand the experiences of parents/carers following their child's disclosure of child sexual abuse (CSA), and b) to explore the role of the parents’/carers' 'mentalisation' in the support of children who experienced CSA and are involved in specialist services. Mentalisation is the process of reflecting on and understanding our own mental states, as well as the mental states of others (e.g. thoughts, feelings and intentions).
The study will involve recruiting up to 30 parents/carers whose children are survivors of CSA, and are accessing specialist CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) or social work services. This research is focusing on 'non-offending parents/carers', which only includes parents/carers who were not perpetrators of their child's abuse. They will be invited to attend a one off meeting with the researcher. The meeting will involve being asked to complete a psychological measure of mentalisation, and to take part in an interview which focuses on their experiences following their child’s disclosure. Interview questions will aim to gather information around areas such as their experience of helpful/unhelpful factors (e.g. coping strategies), thoughts and feelings, and supports and services.
There is limited existing research exploring the role of mentalisation in parents/carers of child survivors of CSA. The findings from the study will allow the researchers to look at common experiences that parents of CSA survivors have following their child's disclosure. This would hope to help inform interventions to benefit both children and families, as well as providing services with detailed experiences of parents/carers, potentially highlighting any outstanding needs.
REC name
South East Scotland REC 02
REC reference
18/SS/0066
Date of REC Opinion
27 Jun 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion