Our work tackling loneliness in parents featured in an NIHR Impact Case Study

The NIHR has featured the ongoing work addressing perinatal loneliness as an Impact Case Study.

Recognition of different forms of loneliness is vital. It helps practitioners and community organisations to better tailor interventions to parents’ needs. Based on the study findings, some community groups have adopted simple inclusive measures. This includes measures such as stating “dads welcome” or “LGBTQ+ parents welcome” in communications.

Our work highlights the importance of creative, inclusive, and flexible interventions for parents. It led to the co-design and piloting of a novel parent-and-baby walking group in Sheffield. The group currently receives sustained funding as part of local perinatal mental health services.

Our work also produced practical resources for parents and professionals. This includes:

• an easy-read report viewed over 3,000 times (.PDF).
• an animated film illustrating real-life experiences of loneliness.
• stories from LGBTQ+ parents and carers on their experiences of loneliness.

“Through this project, health visitors and perinatal teams are thinking differently about loneliness. Not just as a lack of friends, but in terms of emotional, social, and existential dimensions. That awareness changes how they support parents”

Dr Ruth Naughton-Doe, NIHR Three Schools’ Mental Health Programme Fellow

Read the full article here.