Professor Abigail Millings is leading a team of CeBSAP researchers in conducting a large-scale randomised controlled trial, across three local authorities, to investigate the effects of a therapy for parents experiencing high levels of conflict. Funded by the Youth Endowment Fund, the Support for Inter-Parental Communication (SIPCo) project compares Mentalization Based Therapy for Parenting under Pressure (MBT-PP), a therapy for parents provided by Tavistock Relationships, with treatment as usual in the local authorities.
Interparental conflict (IPC), whether in separated or intact families, is consistently related to poorer child adjustment. This project seeks to evaluate the effects of MBT-PP on children and parents, as part of YEF’s funding round, “A supportive home – Helping families to overcome challenges”. MBT-PP is a 10-session therapy that helps parents to better understand their own and others’ mental states, and to bring their child to the front of their minds during conflict. By exploring the effects of MBT-PP on children and parents, compared to families who receive the usual local support, the research will provide evidence of the efficacy of MBT-PP in families with high IPC. The project is a pragmatic efficacy RCT with an internal pilot study. The research team are also carrying out an implementation and process evaluation to understand how MBT-PP affects families and the factors that influence successful delivery of and engagement with MBT-PP.
The research is mixed-methods, comprising longitudinal quantitative surveys for parents and children; interviews with parents, children and key staff involved in the trial; and fidelity analysis of MBT-PP therapy sessions. The three local authorities taking part in the project are Bristol, Dorset, and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP).
The core team is Prof. Abigail Millings, Dr Elaine Clarke, Dr Laurynas Rutkauskas, Piyali Misquitta, Dr Danielle Paddock, Sean Demack, Prof. John Reidy, Prof. Madelynne Arden, Dr Charlotte Coleman, Anna Stevens and Dr Kate Whitfield.
For more information about the funding for this study, please see https://youthendowmentfund.org.uk/funding/who-we-fund/tavistock-relationships/.
If you are a parent living in Bristol, Dorset, or BCP and are interested in taking part, please visit Tavistock Relationships' website for more information.
