A non-randomized controlled study to assess the impact of the "Appui Parental", an early and intensive support programme for vulnerable families: Study protocol

Frédérick Russet; Virginie Maurice; Marie-Christine Picot; Monique Laurent-Vauclare; Lucie Gamon; Anne Alauzen; Diane Purper-Ouakil; Marie-Joelle Hervé

doi:10.1016/j.encep.2023.11.005

A non-randomized controlled study to assess the impact of the "Appui Parental", an early and intensive support programme for vulnerable families: Study protocol

Encephale. 2024 Feb 3:S0013-7006(23)00212-9. doi: 10.1016/j.encep.2023.11.005. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Frédérick Russet¹, Virginie Maurice², Marie-Christine Picot³, Monique Laurent-Vauclare⁴, Lucie Gamon⁵, Anne Alauzen⁶, Diane Purper-Ouakil⁷, Marie-Joelle Hervé²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, CHRU of Montpellier, St-Eloi University Hospital, Montpellier, France; Centre de recherche en épidémiologie et santé des populations (CESP), U1018, Inserm, University Paris-Saclay, Villejuif, France. Electronic address: f-russet@chu-montpellier.fr.
² Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, CHRU of Montpellier, St-Eloi University Hospital, Montpellier, France.
³ Clinical research and epidemiology unit (Department of Medicale Information), CHRU of Montpellier, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France; Centre de recherche en épidémiologie et santé des populations (CESP), U1018, Inserm, University Paris-Saclay, Villejuif, France.
⁴ Retired physician of STPMI (services territorialisés de protection maternelle et infantile), Montpellier, France.
⁵ Clinical research and epidemiology unit (Department of Medicale Information), CHRU of Montpellier, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
⁶ Direction départementale de la protection maternelle et infantile, conseil départemental de l'Hérault, Montpellier, France.
⁷ Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, CHRU of Montpellier, St-Eloi University Hospital, Montpellier, France; Centre de recherche en épidémiologie et santé des populations (CESP), U1018, Inserm, University Paris-Saclay, Villejuif, France.

PMID: 38311488
DOI: 10.1016/j.encep.2023.11.005

Abstract

Introduction: Early home visit programmes have been developed to help parents build an adequate relationship with their baby and to prevent child developmental delays and affective disorders. The "Appui Parental" programme is an intervention carried out by nursery nurses to provide intensive parental support to vulnerable families. Before extending this programme, it seemed necessary to evaluate its impact objectively.

Objectives: The main aim is to determine the impact of the "Appui Parental" programme on the change in the child's symptoms. The secondary objectives are to evaluate its effects on mother-child interactions, self-assessed parental competence, perception of social support, primary caregiver's anxiety-depression symptoms, alliance with the nursery nurse, frequency of out-of-home placements, and nursery nurses' stress.

Method: This non-randomized prospective multicentre study would include 44 families who receive the "Appui Parental" intervention for a one to 20-month-old child (intervention group) and 44 families with the same vulnerability criteria who receive care as usual by the maternal and child protection services (control group). The child, parents, mother-child interaction, nursery nurse-mother alliance, and nursery nurse's stress will be assessed at month one and month 18 after inclusion. Comparisons between groups will be performed.

Conclusion: This study should provide the public authorities with objective data on this programme's impact and allow them to pursue its generalization. For professionals, the study should confirm the interest in close early parental support through home visits or should lead to rethinking some aspects of the programme.

Keywords: Assessment; Attachement; Attachment; Familles vulnérables; Parenting support; Soutien parental; Vulnerable families; Évaluation.