Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 27, 2025

Assessing the Coherence of Parents' Short Narratives Regarding their Child Using the Five-Minute Speech Sample Procedure
Published on: September 19, 2019
A qualitative evaluation of the reflective fostering programme - examining foster and kinship carers' experiences,
Thando Katangwe-Chigamba1, Jamie Murdoch2, Karen Irvine3
1Norwich Clinical Trials Unit, Norwich Medical school, University of East Anglia, UK.
BackgroundMentalization is the ability to think about and interpret behaviours of both self and others in terms of thoughts and feelings. Caregiver's capacity to mentalize can enhance the quality of parent-child relationships. The UK Reflective Fostering Programme (RFP) has been developed to enhance foster and kinship carers' self-regulation and self-mentalizing.AimTo understand carers' experiences, practical application, and perceived impact of the RFP.MethodsA qualitative evaluation of the RFP using in depth interviews with twenty-four carers. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically.ResultsThree key themes were identified: (1) 'Me time' - carer's reflections on the programme and what makes it work, highlights sharing of challenging experiences as important for practising mentalizing. (2) 'Stopping and thinking in the moment' - carer's understanding of programme concepts explores carer's conceptualizations of mentalization, revealing some male carers described challenges regarding sharing personal experiences in a group and the practical application of mentalization. (3) Practical application and perceived impact of the programme suggests successful enactment of learning from the programme, resulting in enhanced capacity to cope with stress, prevention of outbursts and better communication with children in their care.ConclusionsOur findings suggest the programme can successfully facilitate carer's use of self-mentalizing, leading to greater self-regulation and capacity to support children in their care. Future research should explore experiences of male and kinship carers to inform tailoring.
BackgroundMentalization is the ability to think about and interpret behaviours of both self and others in terms of thoughts and feelings. Caregiver's capacity to mentalize can enhance the quality of parent-child relationships. The UK Reflective Fostering Programme (RFP) has been developed to enhance foster and kinship carers' self-regulation and self-mentalizing.AimTo understand carers' experiences, practical application, and perceived impact of the RFP.MethodsA qualitative evaluation of the RFP using in depth interviews with twenty-four carers. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically.ResultsThree key themes were identified: (1) 'Me time' - carer's reflections on the programme and what makes it work, highlights sharing of challenging experiences as important for practising mentalizing. (2) 'Stopping and thinking in the moment' - carer's understanding of programme concepts explores carer's conceptualizations of mentalization, revealing some male carers described challenges regarding sharing personal experiences in a group and the practical application of mentalization. (3) Practical application and perceived impact of the programme suggests successful enactment of learning from the programme, resulting in enhanced capacity to cope with stress, prevention of outbursts and better communication with children in their care.ConclusionsOur findings suggest the programme can successfully facilitate carer's use of self-mentalizing, leading to greater self-regulation and capacity to support children in their care. Future research should explore experiences of male and kinship carers to inform tailoring.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Nursing Evaluation
Nursing Process for Patient and Caregiver Teaching III: Evaluation and Documentation
Nurses can use several methods to evaluate patient outcomes. For example, oral questions can assess cognitive learning,...
Patient-centered Care
Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification
Family Therapy
Strategic Family Therapy
Strategic family therapy emphasizes resolving communication barriers and improving problem-solving abilities...
Influence of Parents and Peers on Identity
Parental Influence on Identity Development
Parents serve as primary guides and managers in an adolescent's life, offering support instrumental in decision-making and personal growth....

