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Introduction

Parents with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs) often need parenting support, but there are few evidence-based programmes adapted to their cognitive needs. Parenting Young Children (PYC), a home-based programme for parents with IDDs, is perceived as beneficial by parents and practitioners, but it is unclear if PYC improves parenting. The purpose of the proposed mixed-methods study is therefore to evaluate the PYC programme for improved parenting in parents with IDDs.

Methods and analysis

The quantitative evaluation will have a multi-centre, pretest-posttest study design and include parents with IDDs (children aged 0–9) in need of adapted parenting support. Goal-attainment in parenting skills, parental self-efficacy and child mental health will be measured outcomes. Interviews will be used to explore the perspectives of parents and children on PYC.

Ethics and dissemination

Particpation is based on informed consent from parents and guardians of the participating children. Ethical approval was granted by the Swedish Ethical Review Authority.

Nyanlända föräldrar kommer med kompetenser, resurser och med förmåga att ta hand om sig själva och sin familj. Det finns dock utmaningar för en del nyanlända föräldrar med att navigera i det nya landet t ex. när det gäller föräldraskap. Den nationella strategin för ett stärkt föräldraskapsstöd framhåller vikten av att erbjuda ett evidensbaserat föräldraskapsstöd för flera arenor i syfte att nå ut till alla föräldrar, särskilt nyanlända föräldrar. En arena som inte tidigare har provats för föräldraskapsstöd  är svenska för invandrare (SFI-) verksamheten. I detta projekt har vi undersökt genomförbarheten och utfallet av ett integrerat föräldraskapsstödi SFI-undervisning enligt programmet International Child Development Program (ICDP).

Resultatet visar att SFI-verksamheten är en arena där föräldraskapsstöd enligt ICDP-programmet kan implementeras för att tidigt stödja nyanlända grupper i deras föräldraskap och integration. Det är dock viktigt att politiker, chefer och medarbetare ser värdet av att genomföra det. Resultaten understryker vikten av att det finns en koordinator som fungerar som en spindel i nätet och som underlättar för lärarna vid planering och genomförande av ICDP-kursen.

Enkätstudien till deltagarna på ICDP-kursen visade att den sociala inkluderingen förbättrades efter ICDP-kursen. Tilliten till föräldraskapet ökade och deltagarna upplevde att de blev tryggare i sitt föräldraskap. Även samspelet mellan föräldrar och barn förbättrades. För SFI-lärare och studiehandledare innebar genomförande av föräldrakursen (ICDP) utveckling av personlig och professionell kompetens, ökad förståelse för elevers situation samt ett förbättrat samspel mellan dem och deras elever.

Background: The Safe Environment for Every Kid (SEEK) model was developed to address psychosocial risk factors (financial worries, depressive symptoms, major parental stress, alcohol misuse and intimate partner violence) in the pediatric primary care setting but has not been evaluated from the parents’ perspective. To further investigate the usefulness of SEEK, it is important to explore how parents perceive the model.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to explore parents’ perceptions of the SEEK model as a part of regular health visits in the Child Health Services in Sweden.

Participants and setting: Eighteen parents (13 women and five men) in two Swedish counties participated in the study.

Methods: Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted, and the resulting data were analyzed using reflective thematic analysis.

Results: Three themes were identified: Acceptance and understanding of the SEEK model in the child health services, The questionnaire as a bridge to a dialogue, and Feeling trust in the system and the child health nurse’s professional competence. Further, an overarching theme was created that encompassed a core meaning of all three themes; SEEK provides a process-oriented framework to receive support in parenting with a focus on child health.

Conclusions: The study showed that parents express both acceptance and understanding of the SEEK model and they perceive that the model provides an avenue for repeated dialogues about the family’s situation during the child’s upbringing and an opportunity to access support if needed.

Boken syftar till att ge ett mångsidigt perspektiv på det sociala och kurativa arbetet med personer med funktionsnedsättning, utifrån ett livsloppsperspektiv.

Boken består av tre delar. Den första delen utgår från ett samhällsperspektiv, där etiska och rättsliga aspekter lyfts fram, liksom hälsoaspekter för personer med funktionsnedsättning. Den andra delen utgår från ett individ- och familjeperspektiv med fokus på barnaåren fram till ungdomsåren. Den sista delen berör ung vuxenperiod upp till åldrandet.

Background: Parents with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs) often need parenting support, but there are few evidence-based support programs adapted to these parents’ cognitive needs. Parenting Young Children (PYC) is a home-based parenting support program developed for parents with IDDs in Australia and has since been implemented in Sweden. PYC emphasizes individualized goals, breaking down complex skills into smaller steps, and collaborating with the parents. To investigate the usefulness and acceptability of PYC, it is of vital importance to explore how the intervention is perceived by the parents.

Aim: The aim of the present study was to explore how PYC is perceived by Swedish parents with IDD as in need of adapted parenting support when there is a risk for neglect.

Methods: Parents' experiences of PYC were explored shortly after completing PYC, using individual, semi-structured interviews that are audio-recorded and transcribed. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Data collection is ongoing, and so far, 12 of the 15 parents have been interviewed. Participating parents have mild ID or other cognitive difficulties (e.g., ASD) and have children between 0 and 9 years of age.

Findings (preliminary): The parents experienced increased security in parenting, improvements in parenting skills, and strengthened self-confidence. PYC influenced parent-child relationships so that the child's needs were put in focus. The parents also emphasized that their parental competence developed in a trusting, participatory process in which it was important to feel included and treated positively. A prerequisite was that the PYC-social worker cooperates with the parent and is sensitive to the parent’s specific needs and wishes. According to the parents, the PYC-social worker should focus on the relationship between the parent and the PYC-social worker and the parents' knowledge and skills to increase the parent's competence. It was also of vital importance to include the needs of both the child and the parent.

Aim. Early intervention and detecting early signs are often cited as a goal by professionals working with children, but detecting and describing early signs is not well explored. Thus, the study’s aim was to explore professionals’ experiences and challenges in the early identification of psychosocial concerns in children aged 0–16.

Materials and Methods. Data were collected from semistructured interviews with 26 professionals (e.g., nurses, psychologists, social workers, teachers, principals, and managers) working with children. The participants engaged in a pilot cooperation model between preschools, schools, social services, and healthcare to reach out early to children in need of support. The interviews were analyzed using thematic network analysis.

Results. Four organizing themes were created as follows: “The idea of promoting and preventing is the key to success,” “Identifying the children who need support and intervention,” “Identifying observable early signs,” and “Occupied with children needing immediate support.” The organizing themes were interpreted into one global theme as follows: “All want an early intervention but putting it into practice is challenging.”

Conclusion. The study shows that it is difficult to identify children in need of psychosocial support at an early stage because the early signs are difficult to detect. Thus, our results suggest that both preventive interventions targeting all children and specific interventions for those in need of support are needed to promote health and wellbeing.

This article contributes knowledge regarding professionals’ experiences, conceptions, and expectations of a coordinator role in preschools/schools while multiprofessionally collaborating for supporting children "at risk". Data were collected via semi-structured interviews with professionals involved in a project in a Swedish municipality intended to prevent children from getting into difficulties. Procedures for thematic analysis were followed, and Billig’s ideological dilemmas were used as a methodological tool. A coordinator role, assigned to head teachers, emerges as tense where dilemmas need to be addressed. The dilemmas are related to opposed, overarching ideas – education for "all" versus treatment for specific children – which require coordination. This article suggests that dialogues between actors need to be held when opposite positions can be articulated. To initiate and maintain such dialogues, a coordinator role is important.

Bariatric surgery is the most medically and cost-effective treatment for adults with obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Our findings suggest initial improvements in health-related quality of life that may decline as support from follow-up care ends. How patients experience long-term support is not well described. This study therefore aimed to investigate how adults with previous T2DM perceived different sources of support 2 years after bariatric surgery. In this qualitative study individual interviews were conducted with 13 adults (10 women) 2 years after surgery. Using thematic analysis, one overarching theme (compiling complementary elements of support after gastric-bypass surgery), four themes and nine subthemes emerged. The results show that support was given and received from various sources, support needs varied over time depending on where the patient was in the process and that the sources of support were complementary. To conclude, our results show that support needs change in adults who have undergone bariatric surgery. Long-term professional and day-to-day support from family and other networks are essential and complementary elements of support. Health care staff should consider these findings, especially during the early follow-up period. 

Background: The study aim was to investigate the efficacy of an intervention designed to provide a basis for informed choices about future parenthood to special upper secondary school students with intellectual disabilities.

Methods: A randomised trial with a waiting list control group was used. In total,108 special upper secondary school students with mild or moderate intellectual disabilities, age 16–21 years, provided informed consent and participated. The intervention included education using the Parenting Toolkit and a Real Care Baby simulator.The analyses included 91 students (intervention group n = 46, 24F/22M; controlgroup n = 45, 26F/19M).

Results: The result showed that intervention group changed their attitudes to future parenting, from ‘do not know’ to ‘know’, significantly more than control group. The intervention increased knowledge levels in the intervention group.

Conclusions: The intervention group showed increased ability to make informed choices and decisions about parenthood.