Developing Pre-Implementation Strategies for a Co-Designed, Technology-Assisted Parenting Intervention Using the...

Area of Science:

• Child mental health research
• Implementation science
• Parenting interventions

Background:

• Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) significantly increase the risk of mental health disorders in children.
• Parenting interventions show promise in mitigating ACEs' impact and improving youth mental health.
• A significant research-to-practice gap limits the accessibility and adoption of existing interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop actionable strategies for implementing an evidence-based, co-designed, technology-assisted parenting intervention.
• To identify barriers and facilitators from service providers working with families affected by ACEs.
• To inform pre-implementation planning for novel parenting interventions.

Main Methods:

• One-on-one interviews were conducted with 14 community health service staff (managers and service providers).
• Theoretical thematic analysis guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) was employed.
• The Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change (ERIC) compilation informed strategy development, using the CFIR-ERIC matching tool.

Main Results:

• Fourteen CFIR constructs were identified as facilitators and eleven as barriers to intervention implementation.
• The CFIR-ERIC tool yielded eleven strategies to address identified barriers.
• The majority of strategies aligned with 'Use evaluative and iterative strategies' (n=4) and 'Develop stakeholder interrelationships' (n=3).

Conclusions:

• The CFIR-ERIC approach provided effective pre-implementation strategies for a technology-assisted parenting intervention targeting ACEs.
• Co-designing interventions is a valuable strategy for bridging research-to-practice gaps.
• Healthcare settings can utilize these findings to guide the implementation of innovative, technology-assisted parenting interventions to enhance child mental health.