At the Edge of Care: A Systematic Review and Thematic Synthesis of Parent and Practitioner Views and Experiences of Support for Parents with Mental Health Needs and Children's Social Service Involvement

Georgia Bacon; Angela Sweeney; Rachel Batchelor; Claire Grant; Nadia Mantovani; Sarah Peter; Jacqueline Sin; Billie Lever Taylor

doi:10.1155/2023/6953134

At the Edge of Care: A Systematic Review and Thematic Synthesis of Parent and Practitioner Views and Experiences of Support for Parents with Mental Health Needs and Children's Social Service Involvement

Georgia Bacon, Angela Sweeney, Rachel Batchelor, Claire Grant, Nadia Mantovani, Sarah Peter, Jacqueline Sin, Billie Lever Taylor^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

7 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

A range of professionals and services are often involved in supporting parents with mental health needs where there are child protection concerns. However, they do not always meet the needs of this population who tend to experience inadequate support and mistrust of services. This review aimed to synthesize parent and practitioner experiences of support for parents with both mental health needs and children's social services involvement. We performed electronic searches of the following databases: PsycINFO, CINAHL, HMIC, MEDLINE, Embase, Social Policy and Practice, Social Services Abstracts, Social Science Citation Index, OpenGrey, Social Care Online, and ProQuest. Following searching and screening, 41 studies were identified including 359 parents and 1370 practitioners. We worked with a Lived Experience Advisory Group to develop the following themes: (1) a downward spiral of service intervention; (2) working with parents, not against them; (3) support wanted versus support provided; and (4) constrained by service rigidity. We found that families were often parenting amidst trauma and adversity. However, service involvement could trigger a "downward spiral"of stressful processes over which parents felt they lacked control. Instead of improving their situations, support sometimes added to families' difficulties, worsening parents' mental health and making them feel marginalised, criticised, and retraumatised. There were, however, also examples of positive practice, where practitioners and parents developed trusting, open, and mutually respectful relationships. Practitioners often felt that they were limited in their ability to offer collaborative, holistic care because services were fragmented, underfunded, crisis driven, and inflexible. Difficulties mentioned most often by parents, such as financial issues, tended not to be a focus of available interventions. We conclude that the key issues identified must be targeted to improve support.

Original language	English
Article number	6953134
Journal	Health and Social Care in the Community
Volume	2023
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/6953134
Publication status	Published - 2023

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Bacon, G., Sweeney, A., Batchelor, R., Grant, C., Mantovani, N., Peter, S., Sin, J., & Taylor, B. L. (2023). At the Edge of Care: A Systematic Review and Thematic Synthesis of Parent and Practitioner Views and Experiences of Support for Parents with Mental Health Needs and Children's Social Service Involvement. Health and Social Care in the Community, 2023, Article 6953134. https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/6953134

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title = "At the Edge of Care: A Systematic Review and Thematic Synthesis of Parent and Practitioner Views and Experiences of Support for Parents with Mental Health Needs and Children's Social Service Involvement",

abstract = "A range of professionals and services are often involved in supporting parents with mental health needs where there are child protection concerns. However, they do not always meet the needs of this population who tend to experience inadequate support and mistrust of services. This review aimed to synthesize parent and practitioner experiences of support for parents with both mental health needs and children's social services involvement. We performed electronic searches of the following databases: PsycINFO, CINAHL, HMIC, MEDLINE, Embase, Social Policy and Practice, Social Services Abstracts, Social Science Citation Index, OpenGrey, Social Care Online, and ProQuest. Following searching and screening, 41 studies were identified including 359 parents and 1370 practitioners. We worked with a Lived Experience Advisory Group to develop the following themes: (1) a downward spiral of service intervention; (2) working with parents, not against them; (3) support wanted versus support provided; and (4) constrained by service rigidity. We found that families were often parenting amidst trauma and adversity. However, service involvement could trigger a {"}downward spiral{"}of stressful processes over which parents felt they lacked control. Instead of improving their situations, support sometimes added to families' difficulties, worsening parents' mental health and making them feel marginalised, criticised, and retraumatised. There were, however, also examples of positive practice, where practitioners and parents developed trusting, open, and mutually respectful relationships. Practitioners often felt that they were limited in their ability to offer collaborative, holistic care because services were fragmented, underfunded, crisis driven, and inflexible. Difficulties mentioned most often by parents, such as financial issues, tended not to be a focus of available interventions. We conclude that the key issues identified must be targeted to improve support.",

author = "Georgia Bacon and Angela Sweeney and Rachel Batchelor and Claire Grant and Nadia Mantovani and Sarah Peter and Jacqueline Sin and Taylor, {Billie Lever}",

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year = "2023",

doi = "10.1155/2023/6953134",

language = "English",

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journal = "Health and Social Care in the Community",

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Bacon, G, Sweeney, A, Batchelor, R, Grant, C, Mantovani, N, Peter, S, Sin, J & Taylor, BL 2023, 'At the Edge of Care: A Systematic Review and Thematic Synthesis of Parent and Practitioner Views and Experiences of Support for Parents with Mental Health Needs and Children's Social Service Involvement', Health and Social Care in the Community, vol. 2023, 6953134. https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/6953134

At the Edge of Care: A Systematic Review and Thematic Synthesis of Parent and Practitioner Views and Experiences of Support for Parents with Mental Health Needs and Children's Social Service Involvement. / Bacon, Georgia; Sweeney, Angela; Batchelor, Rachel et al.
In: Health and Social Care in the Community, Vol. 2023, 6953134, 2023.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

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T2 - A Systematic Review and Thematic Synthesis of Parent and Practitioner Views and Experiences of Support for Parents with Mental Health Needs and Children's Social Service Involvement

AU - Bacon, Georgia

AU - Sweeney, Angela

AU - Batchelor, Rachel

AU - Grant, Claire

AU - Mantovani, Nadia

AU - Peter, Sarah

AU - Sin, Jacqueline

AU - Taylor, Billie Lever

PY - 2023

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AB - A range of professionals and services are often involved in supporting parents with mental health needs where there are child protection concerns. However, they do not always meet the needs of this population who tend to experience inadequate support and mistrust of services. This review aimed to synthesize parent and practitioner experiences of support for parents with both mental health needs and children's social services involvement. We performed electronic searches of the following databases: PsycINFO, CINAHL, HMIC, MEDLINE, Embase, Social Policy and Practice, Social Services Abstracts, Social Science Citation Index, OpenGrey, Social Care Online, and ProQuest. Following searching and screening, 41 studies were identified including 359 parents and 1370 practitioners. We worked with a Lived Experience Advisory Group to develop the following themes: (1) a downward spiral of service intervention; (2) working with parents, not against them; (3) support wanted versus support provided; and (4) constrained by service rigidity. We found that families were often parenting amidst trauma and adversity. However, service involvement could trigger a "downward spiral"of stressful processes over which parents felt they lacked control. Instead of improving their situations, support sometimes added to families' difficulties, worsening parents' mental health and making them feel marginalised, criticised, and retraumatised. There were, however, also examples of positive practice, where practitioners and parents developed trusting, open, and mutually respectful relationships. Practitioners often felt that they were limited in their ability to offer collaborative, holistic care because services were fragmented, underfunded, crisis driven, and inflexible. Difficulties mentioned most often by parents, such as financial issues, tended not to be a focus of available interventions. We conclude that the key issues identified must be targeted to improve support.

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At the Edge of Care: A Systematic Review and Thematic Synthesis of Parent and Practitioner Views and Experiences of Support for Parents with Mental Health Needs and Children's Social Service Involvement

Abstract

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