Supporting parents and kids through lockdown experiences

These trends are likely to persist post-lockdown - as families adjust to the social, educational and uncertainties and insecurities of the ‘new normal’ with possible knock on effects on already overstretched NHS mental health services.

The Parent Positive app-based intervention was designed to help parents manage their children’s behaviour through lockdown. It consists of short animated films encapsulating eight fully evidence-based parenting messages delivered in an engaging way by high profile celebrity parents to increase widespread public engagement.  The app also includes a parent-to-parent communication platform.

Project aim

This project aims to evaluate whether the negative effects of lockdown can be reversed by providing parenting advice digitally, using a specially-designed mobile phone app, Parent Positive. 

How the project  will be carried out

The SPARKLE (Supporting Parents and Kids Through Lockdown Experiences) study is a randomised controlled trial where one cohort of parents will have access to the Parent Positive app after two months and both cohorts willl answer monthly questionnaires about themselves and their child. The study will use also use existing routine and regular data collection, in Co-SPACE - an ongoing cohort study  by Oxford University, of Covid-19 lockdown effects on the behaviour and mental health of children and parents. It will test whether the Parent Positive app can reverse the negative effects of lockdown observed in Co-SPACE to pre-lockdown levels.

A panel of 13 parents of young children have been recruited and will be involved in advising on all phases of the study, including consultation about the intervention. The study will be carried out in collaboration with Oxford University.

The study is funded by the ESRC. It was adopted by the ARC Executive in July 2021 and will be completed by February 2022.

Read more about the SPARKLE study