The goal of this feasibility study was to investigate a new intervention designed to help parents/carers of children aged 8-12 who have experienced adversities to build their child's resilience to mental health difficulties using a 'positive psychology' approach. The research questions concerned the acceptability, feasibility and safety of the intervention.
Background: Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are traumatic or stressful events before age 18 that have been linked to poor mental health across the life course. Resilience is the ability of an individual to maintain or return to a thriving state following adversity. As resilience is not a static trait, intervening to increase the resilience of children exposed to ACEs has the potential to decrease the risk of later mental health difficulties. Positive psychology interventions (i.e. interventions that aim to increase factors that have been identified as important to individual and community flourishing) have been shown to be effective in increasing resilience. However, there was not yet a positive psychology intervention designed to meet the needs of young people exposed to ACEs and their caregivers (parents/carers). Objectives: To investigate the acceptability, feasibility and safety of a co-produced caregiver-delivered positive psychology intervention to enhance the resilience to mental health difficulties of children who have experienced ACEs. Methods: The project was guided by a Stakeholder Research Team (SRT) comprising both adults and young people with relevant expertise-by-experience. The study was divided into two work packages. In work package 1, the researchers completed a component analysis of existing positive psychology interventions, and a qualitative study to understand the needs and preferences of young people, parents/carers and professionals. They then conducted a series of intervention development workshops to co-produce the intervention with the SRT, informed by the findings of the component analysis and qualitative study. In work package 2, the researchers carried out a waitlist-controlled feasibility study involving 12 families with a child aged 8-12 years who had experienced ACEs. Families were randomised to receive the intervention either immediately or after a 10-week waiting period and mixed methods data collected to enable us to assess the acceptability, feasibility and safety of the intervention.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
24
The ASPIRE support package has a modular structure with core modules that all participating families are encouraged to complete initially, followed by optional modules which the family is supported to select from according to their strengths and needs. Core modules provide psychoeducation for the caregiver and optional modules contain information on the selected positive psychology topic together with instructions for suggested activities to be completed by the caregiver with their child to implement evidence-based positive psychology strategies. All resources can be accessed both electronically via an online portal or via the printed resource pack. Each caregiver is supported through the programme by a trained practitioner who offers regular support sessions (up to 8 in total) to provide information, advice and encouragement. Support sessions can take place face-to-face, by video call or over the phone according to participant preference.
Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust
Norwich, Norfolk, United Kingdom
Intervention feasibility / fidelity of delivery
ASPIRE intervention adherence checklist
Time frame: 10 weeks
Potential risks of the intervention
Modified Edinburgh Adverse Effects of Psychological Therapy Scale
Time frame: 10 weeks
Intervention acceptability
Qualitative acceptability of the intervention from the perspective of children, caregivers and professionals, assessed via interviews and focus groups
Time frame: 10 weeks
Intervention feasibility / fidelity of delivery
ASPIRE intervention adherence checklist
Time frame: 20 weeks
Potential risks of the intervention
Modified Edinburgh Adverse Effects of Psychological Therapy Scale
Time frame: 20 weeks
Intervention acceptability
Qualitative acceptability of the intervention from the perspective of children, caregivers and professionals, assessed via interviews and focus groups
Time frame: 20 weeks
Me and My Feeling Questionnaire
16-item measure of mental health difficulties with emotional and behavioural difficulties subscale (child completed)
Time frame: Post intervention (10 weeks) & 20 week follow-up for immediate arm only
The Student Resilience Survey
47-item measure measuring children's perceptions of their internal and external resilience (child completed)
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Time frame: Post intervention (10 weeks) & 20 week follow-up for immediate arm only
Students' Life Satisfaction Scale
7-item measure of global life satisfaction (child completed)
Time frame: Post intervention (10 weeks) & 20 week follow-up for immediate arm only
Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (parent-report version)
25-item measure of caregiver perception of their child's emotional and behavioural difficulties (parent/carer completed)
Time frame: Post intervention (10 weeks) & 20 week follow-up for immediate arm only
Me as a Parent
16-item measure of parental self-regulation, including their self-efficacy, personal agency, self-management and self-sufficiency as a parent (parent/carer completed)
Time frame: Post intervention (10 weeks) & 20 week follow-up for immediate arm only
Short Warwick Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale
7-item measure of the parent or carer's mental wellbeing (parent/carer completed)
Time frame: Post intervention (10 weeks) & 20 week follow-up for immediate arm only