Impact of a culturally tailored parenting programme on the mental health of Somali parents and children living in Sweden: a longitudinal cohort study

Fatumo Osman, Linda Vixner, Renee Flacking, Marie Klingberg-Allvin, Ulla-Karin Schön, Raziye Salari, Fatumo Osman, Linda Vixner, Renee Flacking, Marie Klingberg-Allvin, Ulla-Karin Schön, Raziye Salari

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the long-term impact (3-year follow-up) of a culturally tailored parenting support programme (Ladnaan) on the mental health of Somali-born parents and their children living in Sweden.

Methods: In this longitudinal cohort study, Somali-born parents with children aged 11-16 were followed up 3 years after they had participated in the Ladnaan intervention. The Ladnaan intervention comprises two main components: societal information and the Connect parenting programme delivered using a culturally sensitive approach. It consists of 12 weekly group-based sessions each lasting 1-2 hours. The primary outcome was improved mental health in children, as measured by the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL). The secondary outcome was improved mental health in parents, as measured by the General Health Questionnaire-12. Data were collected from the parent's perspective.

Results: Of the 60 parents who were originally offered the intervention, 51 were included in this long-term follow-up. The one-way repeated measures (baseline to the 3-year follow-up) analysis of variance for the CBCL confirmed maintenance of all the treatment gains for children: total problem scores (95% CI 11.49 to 18.00, d=1.57), and externalising problems (95% CI 2.48 to 5.83, d=0.86). Similar results were observed for the parents' mental health (95% CI 0.40 to 3.11, d=0.46).

Conclusion: Positive changes in the mental health of Somali-born parents and their children were maintained 3 years after they had participated in a parenting support programme that was culturally tailored and specifically designed to address their needs. Our findings highlight the long-term potential benefits of these programmes in tackling mental health issues in immigrant families.

Trial registration number: NCT02114593.

Keywords: child & adolescent psychiatry; community child health; mental health; public health.

Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Participant flow chart throughout the study (grey marked area concerns the current study).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Clinical significance of change from baseline: proportion of children (CBCL) and parents (GHQ) showing reliable change (n=51 for children and 49 parents).

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