Vol 4 Issue 3
Focus on Parenting in difficult circumstances
IN THIS ISSUE:
- Perinatal education needs of imprisoned mothers and fathers
- Supporting young mothers
- Guidance for engagement and early intervention with military families
- Mellow Futures programme for parents with learning difficulties
- Group intervention to treat fear of childbirth
Author: Janet Harvell, Alison Prowle
Author title: Janet Harvell, Senior Lecturer; Alison Prowle, Senior Lecturer
Description: The authors describe their experiences in the Dunkirk refugee camp in France and explain the challenges facing parents, professionals and volunteers in providing a physical, emotional and learning environment appropriate for the healthy development of very young children.
Description writer: Janet Harvell, Senior Lecturer, Centre for Early Childhood, University of Worcester, UK; Alison Prowle, Senior Lecturer, Centre for Early Childhood, University of Worcester, UK
Author: Riikka Toivanen, Terhi Saisto, Hanna Rouhe
Author title: Riikka Toivanen, Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, Finland; Terhi Saisto, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Helsinki University and Helsinki University Hospital, Finland; Hanna Rouhe, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Helsinki University and Helsinki University Hospital, Finland
Description: Severe fear of childbirth (FOC) causes emotional suffering during pregnancy and interferes with the normal psychological growth towards childbirth and motherhood (Veringa et al., 2016; Sydsjö et al., 2014). In addition, FOC also increases the complication rate in labour, if untreated (Rouhe et al., 2013), and the risk of post-traumatic stress reactions and depression after childbirth (Räisänen et al., 2013, Söderquist 2009). New mothers with FOC often have very negative images of and emotions about childbirth (Serçeku & Okumu, 2009). To enable more positive experiences of childbirth and promote a positive transition to parenthood, there is a need for effective ways to treat these women. This paper discusses a group intervention consisting of psycho-education with relaxation exercises, which has been shown to be an effective way to treat nulliparous women with fear of childbirth.
Description writer: Riikka Toivanen, Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, Finland; Terhi Saisto, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Helsinki University and Helsinki University Hospital, Finland; Hanna Rouhe, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Helsinki University and Helsinki University Hospital, Finland
Author: Denise Coster, Helen Brookes
Author title: Denise Coster, Senior Evaluation Officer; Helen Brookes, Evaluation Officer
Description: Pregnant women and fathers-to-be in the prison system are a very vulnerable group with a wide range of needs which makes it important that they receive good quality perinatal education so as to experience healthy pregnancies and develop healthy attachment relationships with their babies. However, perinatal education provision in prisons is patchy and there is little evidence of what makes it effective. This article outlines some of the challenges and potential solutions and argues that much more work should be done to ensure that these vulnerable parents are able to give their babies the best start in life.
Description writer: Denise Coster, Senior Evaluation Officer, National Association for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), UK; Helen Brookes, Evaluation Officer, National Association for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), UK
Author: Miriam Donaghy, Sarah McGuiness, Kate Smith
Author title: Miriam Donaghy, UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) Psychotherapist; Sarah McGuiness, Senior Psychotherapist; Kate Smith, Senior Psychotherapist
Description: This article describes the impact of YoungMumsAid, a psychological support service for 16-18 year-old mothers and pregnant teenagers, based in the Royal Borough of Greenwich (RBG) in South East London. We will identify common clinical themes, discuss some of the main challenges of working with this client group, and present our main outcomes. We hope to provide the reader with a sense of the complexity involved in this work which aims to make a positive difference in the lives of vulnerable young women and their babies.
Description writer: Miriam Donaghy, UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) Psychotherapist, Clinical Director of MumsAid; Sarah McGuiness, Senior Psychotherapist, MumsAid; Kate Smith, Senior Psychotherapist, MumsAid
Author: Hilary Kennedy
Author title: Educational Psychologist
Description: Video Interaction Guidance (VIG) is an intervention that aims to promote secure attachment and optimal development for children and parents. It is based on the parent and VIG practitioner reflecting together on strengths-based, micro-moments of video and is client-centred, which means moving at the client’s pace with their goals in mind
Description writer: Educational Psychologist, VIG Practitioner, Supervisor and Trainer
Author: Adele Lake, Camilla Rosan
Author title: Adele Lake, Social Worker; Camilla Rosan, Head of Programmes for Families, Children and Young People, Mental Health Foundation, UK
Description: Serving soldiers are not required to register their children, but in 2009 the Royal Navy and Royal Marine’s Children Fund estimated there were approximately 174,500 children in the United Kingdom living with one or both parents in the military forces. For these families, military life is often characterised by long and unpredictable duty hours, relatively low pay for lower ranks, frequent separations and extreme mobility. In 2011, an Ofsted survey identified that military families face challenges that go beyond the experience of the majority of families and children living in the UK. This article discusses these challenges and suggests ways in which health and social care professionals may be able to engage families to overcome them.
Description writer: Adele Lake, Social Worker, Children’s Safeguarding Team, Wiltshire, UK; Camilla Rosan, Head of Programmes for Families, Children and Young People, Mental Health Foundation, UK
Author: Beth Tarleton, Christine Puckering
Author title: Beth Tarleton, Senior Research Fellow; Christine Puckering, Programme Director, Mellow Parenting
Description: Mellow Futures is a programme for parents with learning difficulties and disabilities adapted from the Mellow Bumps and Babies programmes with the addition of a mentor to support the mothers in transferring learning to their home environment. The evaluation of the pilot programmes (Tarleton & Turner 2016; 2015) found that mothers and the professionals who referred the mothers, recognised increases in maternal confidence, social connection and parenting skills. The level of concern regarding the welfare of the babies was also reduced in the majority of cases.
Description writer: Beth Tarleton, Senior Research Fellow, Norah Fry Centre for Disability Studies, School for Policy Studies, University of Bristol, UK; Christine Puckering, Programme Director, Mellow Parenting, UK
Author: Kristin O’Neill
Author title: Project Co-ordinator, Mellow Futures
Description: A Mellow Futures practitioner describes how the combination of a safe group environment, strengths-based feedback, encouragement from peers and the reinforcement of learning and skills at home, enable mums with learning difficulties to lead their lives and to parent as independently as possible.
Description writer: Project Co-ordinator, Mellow Futures
Author: Sophie Mackey
Author title: Program Manager
Description: Australian Red Cross Young Parents Program works to ensure best outcomes for children and families by improving the capacity of young parents with complex needs, aged 13 to 25, to live and parent independently. The program is funded through a range of government and philanthropic sources including the New South Wales (NSW) Department of Family and Community Services (FACS) and the Ministry of Health.
Description writer: Program Manager, Australian Red Cross Young Parents Program
Author: Anonymous
Description: This teaching activity, adapted from the Wave Trust Parenthood and Relationships Education Project Toolkit, aims to enhance sensitive parenting through improving parents’ knowledge and understanding of their children’s physical, emotional and cognitive development
