Parenting programme for mental health inpatients

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Design and Feasibility Trial of a Co-produced Parenting Programme for Psychiatric Inpatients (COPPPI)

  • IRAS ID

    312969

  • Contact name

    Abigail Dunn

  • Contact email

    ad560@sussex.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    University of Sussex

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    0 years, 11 months, 31 days

  • Research summary

    Research Summary:
    For most parents, being a parent is an important part of who they are, but it can also be challenging at times. When someone has mental health problems, parenting can be even harder: it can contribute to their own symptoms and sometimes their mental health can get in the way of them parenting their children in the way they would like. For parents who are inpatients within a mental health hospital it can be even more difficult because they may not have much contact with their children. However, research shows that supporting parents when they are struggling with their mental health can improve both their own health and wellbeing and improve the mental health and wellbeing of their children.

    We want to support parents when they are in a mental health inpatient unit so they can share their experiences of parenting in a supportive group and can gain information and skills so they feel more confident as parents when they go home.
    We want to collaborate with parents who are in a psychiatric inpatient setting to design a course, so that it reflects what they think is important as well as what research evidence tells us is useful. We will also speak with partners/carers/supporters of parents who have accessed inpatient care and staff who work on inpatient wards. We hope that the parents who take part feel their voices are important and that they are making a difference for other parents. When the design of the new course is finished, we will trial it with parents who are inpatients to find out if it makes a difference for them and their children.

    Summary of Results:
    The study was a collaborative intervention development project for parents receiving inpatient care. This had three stages: Stages one and two involved patients, carers and mental health practitioners contributing to the development of a working version of a course to be delivered to face-to-face to parents receiving psychiatric inpatient treatment. Stage three involved who were being treated in hospital parents experiencing the course and evaluating. This resulted in a five-module course which aims to support parents who are in hospital to share their experiences and support their connection with their child. Preliminary feedback from patients and ward staff was positive.

  • REC name

    West Midlands - South Birmingham Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    22/WM/0148

  • Date of REC Opinion

    15 Jul 2022

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion