Psychosocial risk factors in families of young children : A trial of the Safe Environment for Every Kid (SEEK) Model in Sweden

• BackgroundThe Safe Environment for Every Kid (SEEK) model is a structured, evidence-based approach that helps identify and address prevalent psychosocial problems among caregivers and facilitates support and services. The aim of the present study was to analyze self-reported financial worries, depressive symptoms, parental stress, alcohol misuse and intimate partner violence in families of children <6 years of age as expressed in the SEEK Parent Screen Questionnaire - Sweden (PSQ-S) completed at regular child health visits.  MethodsThis study has a longitudinal design with consecutive, clinical-encounter-based sampling, and is part of a cluster-randomized controlled trial evaluating the SEEK model in Swedish child health services (CHS). Data were collected from parents’ responses to the Swedish SEEK Parent Screening Questionnaire (PSQ-S) used universally at five age-specific health visits during the intervention period from April 2018 through March 2020. Fully completed PSQ-S (n=7483) were analyzed using descriptive statistics regarding each respective risk factor and potential differences between groups with respect to child age and parent gender were analysed using Pearson’s Chi-square. Trends over time for each risk factor were analysed using the Mantel-Haenszel test.FindingsOver half of the PSQ-S (53%) had at least one positive screen and the problems were common among both mothers and fathers throughout the child’s first five years of life. Overall rates of positive screens decreased by 41% for child safety problems, 52% for economic worries, 52% for depressive symptoms, 66% for parental stress and 73% for IPV during the intervention period (p-values ranged from 0.028 to <0.001) but not for alcohol misuse.ConclusionParents of young children frequently reported psychosocial risk factors in their encounters with the CHS nurse when the SEEK model was used. There was a significant decrease in positive screens over the course of the intervention, possibly because problems had been addressed and families’ psychosocial situation indeed had improved. 

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Folkhälsovetenskap, global hälsa, socialmedicin och epidemiologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Pediatrik (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Pediatrics (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Psychosocial risk factors

Child health

Child maltreatment

Prevention

Health promotion

Child health services

Evidence-based practice

Women

Men

Medicinsk vetenskap

Medical Science

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vet (ämneskategori)

ovr (ämneskategori)