The feasibility and acceptability of implementing and evaluating a caregiver group intervention to address child mental health: A pilot study in Iraq

Abstract

Complex humanitarian emergencies have a significant negative impact on the prevalence and severity of child mental health. The capacity of primary caregivers to provide care to their children is often adversely affected. There is a lack of evidence-based interventions to guide primary caregivers. This study assessed the feasibility and acceptability of implementing and evaluating a caregiver group counselling intervention, and provided an indication of its potential benefits. A single arm pilot study was conducted in Northern Iraq. Primary caregivers of a child aged 8–12 years with concern about their child's mental health attended the caregiver group intervention. Quantitative and qualitative outcome measures were completed by caregivers and children at pre-intervention, post-intervention, and 12-week follow-up. The intervention was found to be feasible and acceptable to implement. Twelve participants were recruited, of which ten started the intervention and eight completed the intervention. All eight participants reported finding the intervention helpful. Evaluation of the intervention was found to be feasible and acceptable. Indicative results showed potential improvements across child and caregiver mental health. Limitations are that the small sample size limits the range of perspectives, lack of control group means observed changes could be due to factors other than the intervention, and potential bias exists due to self-completed fidelity monitoring and possible response bias. The caregiver group intervention was feasible and acceptable to implement and evaluate in a humanitarian setting, and showed potential to positively impact child and caregiver mental health, warranting further research on its effectiveness.