Parents’ perceptions of the safe environment for every kid (SEEK) model in the Swedish child health services

Abstract

Abstract 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.