Attachment and trauma-informed programme to support forcibly displaced parents of youth in Sweden: feasibility and preliminary outcomes of theeConnect Onlineprogramme

Abstract

ObjectivesTo assess the feasibility, acceptability and the impact of an online parenting programme for forcibly displaced parents of adolescents.DesignThe study was a single-arm feasibility study using pre-intervention post-intervention and follow-up assessments.SettingParticipants were recruited from municipality-based activities for refugee parents in a small city in the south of Sweden.ParticipantsParticipants were forcibly displaced parents (n=23; 47.8% maternal figures) of youth (n=23; 8–17 years old; 26.1% female) from Syria, Afghanistan and Somalia participating in an online parenting programme (eConnect).InterventioneConnectis an attachment-based and trauma-informed parenting intervention and was delivered over the course of 10 weekly sessions.Primary and secondary outcome measuresFeasibility was assessed by programme enrolment, attendance, completion and acceptability of the online platform and cultural fit of the programme. Primary outcome measures were programme impact on youth mental health problems. Secondary outcome measures were programme impact on family functioning and parent–child attachment insecurity.ResultsTheeConnectprogramme was highly feasible in terms of overall enrolment (100%), attendance (89.6%) and retention rates (100%). The online platform was acceptable, with mixed feedback primarily related to the access and usage of technology. Cultural fit of the programme was acceptable. Youth mental health problems (η2=0.29) and family functioning significantly improved (η2=0.18) over the course of the programme. Unexpectedly, parent reports of youth attachment insecurity significantly worsened (η2=0.16).ConclusionsThe findings suggest that the online delivery ofConnectwas a promising way to reduce barriers to service access and improve mental health problems and family functioning among forcibly displaced parents and their children during COVID-19. Future research is needed to explore the acceptability and impact of this programme post-COVID-19, and to develop culturally tailored and psychometrically sound measures for parent and youth reports of attachment.