Category: Research

Togetherness is pleased to announce the findings of a very recent study which found the online pathway ‘Understanding your baby’ hosted on Togetherness.co.uk and written by Togetherness clinical psychologists has a positive impact on parental self-efficacy; the confidence and belief parents have about their ability to carry out their parenting duties successfully. Published in the Community Practitioner*, the report, Understanding your baby: Evaluating a web-based postnatal parenting programme, demonstrates the online course leads to significant improvements in parents’ self-belief across various aspects of parenting, such as feeding, soothing, establishing routines, and understanding their baby’s needs. 

‘Understanding your baby’ includes practical support for new parents as well as information on emotional health and brain development, whilst encouraging attuned, sensitive relationships. The study of 2322 participants who completed the pre- and post-course questionnaire (Karitane Parenting Confidence Scale) found statistically significant numbers of parents reporting improvements in their perception of various parenting skills by the end of the course, whilst there was no significant change in the perception of parenting stress. 

This study has been critical to understand the effectiveness of online parenting education programmes as impactful resources for parents during the postnatal period. The online course for parents or carers of infants aged between 0-12 months is part of the suite of courses to support the parenting journey written by Togetherness. There are many benefits to completing online courses, for example they are cost-effective, accessible, and have been found to benefit parents who may not have access to in-person resources.  

During the postnatal period there are a number of hormonal, psychological, and social changes for caregivers. Attuned and sensitive responses from caregivers are vital for establishing secure attachment patterns (associated with positive outcomes in later life) and enhancing emotional regulation in infants. Low parental self-efficacy has been associated with postpartum depression and can affect both parents and babies. Therefore, improving parents’ belief in their own abilities can make an important contribution to providing the best care for children. 

The postnatal period is a critical phase for parents and infants, and interventions like this aimed at enhancing parents’ self-belief are highly valuable for the wellbeing of both during this period and for later in life. This study underscores the importance of digital alternatives for parent support programmes, and their role in providing flexible access to educational and reflective spaces for parents, in promoting good quality parenting practices. 

* Original paper: Sanchez Egana, R. and Douglas, H. (2023). Understanding your baby: Evaluating a web-based postnatal parenting programme. Community Practitioner.

Togetherness is delighted to share the findings of a piece of research which examined the effectiveness of the Togetherness 10-week group programme: Understanding your child’s behaviour. The article, The Solihull Approach 10-week programme: a randomised controlled trial, published in the Community Practitioner*, provides evidence of the impact of the Togetherness programme in improving children’s behaviour, parental wellbeing and parent-child relationships.

The study of 223 participants attending 2-hour classes each week for 10 weeks located in Wrexham, Wales and in Solihull, England, between April 2013 and September 2017 found:

• Significant improvements in child prosocial behaviour and conduct
• Reduced parental anxiety and stress
• A significant increase in parent-child closeness
• A significant decrease in conflict in the parent-child relationship.

Most notably, the study found improvements in children’s conduct (for example, temper tantrums, obedience, fighting, stealing or lying) and ‘prosocial’ behaviour (for example, being considerate of others’ feelings, sharing, kindness to younger children, helpfulness to others) as assessed using the ‘Strengths and Difficulties questionnaire’.

The Understanding your child’s behaviour programme focuses on developing positive interactions with children and supporting parents to read and understand behaviour as communication. Importantly, the programme was designed at the time to support practice shifting away from a ‘command and control’ parenting style, with a new emphasis on high-quality parent-child relationships. 

Three self-report measures were administered at two time points – before and after the 10-week programme – to assess: child behaviour; parental emotional health; and the parent-child relationship. Statistical analysis of these three variables was used to compare the families engaged with the programme to those of a control group. Comparison with the control group (of 26 waiting list families) makes this a stronger research design than previous studies, and therefore builds upon and strengthens the quality of the evidence base for the Solihull Approach model in practice.  

The report’s findings highlight the extensive benefits of a supportive, relationship focussed programme in improving social behaviours and conduct for children and thus also reducing parental stress and anxiety. Researchers suggested that given the representative sample used for the study aligned with national demographic estimates, they have confidence that the course is applicable and at scale would benefit the general population. They noted, however, some perceived barriers to parents accessing programmes funded publicly and a stigma attached to parenting education with some describing they don’t want to be told their parenting is ‘wrong’. In order for communities to realise the benefits of improved parent-child relationships and reflective approaches to parenting, further work is required to support access to this kind of education.  

* Douglas, H. and Johnson, R. (2019). The Solihull Approach 10-week programme: a randomised controlled trial. Community Practitioner, 9 (7), 45-47.

Togetherness is proud to celebrate the findings of a recent study of a pioneering early intervention programme developed with First Steps mental health programme working with the Jewish Orthodox community in Hackney, London. Published in the Community Practitioner*, the report, Solihull Approach Groups for Orthodox Jewish Mothers, reinforces the evidence for the impact of culturally adapted and family focussed groups in improving both child and parent emotional health. 

Understanding your child’s behaviour, a course delivered over 10 weeks for parents cocreated with First Steps and Koach Parenting, a charity founded by a member of the local Orthodox Jewish community, adapted an established Solihull Approach model. The study of 46 mothers reported: 

• significant decreases in depression, anxiety and stress  
• progress towards parenting goals  
• perceived increase in children’s levels of warmth 

The programme was developed in response to significant disparity in parents from the Orthodox Jewish community accessing parent support – with not a single family from the large community in Hackney among the 141 parents attending groups between 2012-14. The collaboration was also motivated by evidence highlighting risks to children from minority communities reluctant to seek help outside their communities and facing challenges in accessing mainstream mental health support services. 

The Togetherness programme for parents which builds upon established psychoanalytic theory and practice experience to support close, connected, parent-child relationships. It was tailored in partnership with both First Steps and Koach Parenting to ensure engagement. Supporting typically larger family sizes, the course covered a broader range of developmental stages delivered by facilitators who had direct experience within the community. The partnership also led to the development of supplementary materials called “Torah thoughts,” which addressed spiritual or religious aspects of parenting. 

The report’s findings reinforce the case for further cultural adaptation of programmes to improve both engagement and impact. Framing the core teaching of the Solihull Approach makes the benefits accessible and relevant for families for whom engaging with mental health services has been challenging to date. Positively, First Steps continues to run Understanding your child’s behaviour for Jewish Orthodox mothers and is embedding learnings to shape new programmes for other minority communities in Hackney.  

* Original paper: Hill, B., Boscoe, A. and de Lange, B. (2021). Solihull Approach Groups for Orthodox Jewish Mothers. Community Practitioner, 94(1), 44-47