Interventions that aim to reduce loneliness in the perinatal period: a restricted scoping review protocol.
Abstract
Objective: This restricted scoping review aims to explore and report on the types of interventions targeting parental loneliness in the perinatal period (pregnancy to 12 months after birth).
Introduction: There is an increased risk of feeling lonely in the perinatal period for both mothers and fathers which is elevated by intersectional inequalities. Perinatal loneliness is linked to poor mental health outcomes and can have lasting negative impacts on children. Little is known about what constitutes support for parents to reduce loneliness.
Inclusion criteria: Studies will be included if they describe interventions that aim to reduce loneliness in the perinatal period, including those for mothers, fathers, adoptive, surrogate, or foster parents, and parents who have children removed through social care. Interventions include self-help strategies and support given by health and social care professionals or voluntary sector organisations. The review will include studies published in the academic literature and in English since 2013.
Methods: The Applied Social Sciences Citation Index (PROQUEST), CENTRAL (Cochrane), CINAHL Ultimate (EBSCO), Maternity and Infant Care (Ovid), MEDLINE (Ovid), SCOPUS, PsychINFO (Ovid), Science Citation Index (Web of Science) and the Social Sciences Citation Index (Web of Science) will be searched for relevant papers. Abstracts will be screened against inclusion criteria using Covidence and retained papers will be downloaded for further screening. Papers included in the review will be read in full and information will be extracted into a data extraction table. Data will be analysed to develop a typology of loneliness interventions and gaps in the research will be identified.
Funding
The review is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Three Schools Mental Health Programme which is a collaboration between The NIHR Schools for Primary Care Research (SPCR), Public Health Research (SPHR) and Social Care Research (SSCR) as part of a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship ‘Developing a Theory of Change for Perinatal Loneliness in partnership with people with lived and practitioner experience’. The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care.
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Categories
- Clinical social work practice
- Social work not elsewhere classified
- Psychosocial aspects of childbirth and perinatal mental health
- Mental health nursing
- Mental health services
- Preventative health care
- Social determinants of health
- Health promotion
- Health equity
- Public health not elsewhere classified
- General practice
- Family care
- Health and community services
- Primary health care
