P-CFT for mothers with mental health difficulties
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Perinatal compassion focused therapy for mothers with mental health difficulties: A mixed methods study of its acceptability and benefits
IRAS ID
304859
Contact name
Anja Wittkowski
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
The University of Manchester
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 4 months, 1 days
Research summary
Pregnancy and the early postpartum period are a time of vulnerability in the onset or exacerbation of mental health difficulties. Up to 20% of women experience mental health problems during the perinatal period, which impact both the mother and her infant. These impacts include many negative child outcomes, such as emotion dysregulation, which are mediated by the impact of perinatal mental health (PMH) problems on the mother-infant relationship. Perinatal compassion focused therapy (P-CFT) is a psychological intervention is currently being delivered across NHS PMH services to address PMH and mother-infant bonding difficulties. However, its implementation is not currently supported by research. Therefore, this research aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the psychological treatment through a mixed methods approach.
Given the current investment in PMH in improving women’s access to evidence-based psychological therapies, this project is very timely. The outlined studies will acquire knowledge on patient experience, reasons for engagement/disengagement and the most meaningful assessments to explore CFT-related change. The outcomes, applicable to nurses, psychiatrists, and psychologists in the perinatal field, have the potential to inform a future RCT and potentially NICE guidelines on maternal and infant mental health.
This research consists of three interlinked studies, which will recruit mothers who are attending online P-CFT groups. The P-CFT groups are being delivered in NHS perinatal community mental health teams across four NHS trusts. The research will explore the benefits of P-CFT through questionnaires, one-to-one interviews, and observations of mother-infant interactions.
REC name
London - Camden & Kings Cross Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/LO/0383
Date of REC Opinion
3 May 2023
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion