A cross-sectoral perinatal assessment and support intervention from the perspective of parents living with psychosocial vulnerabilities
A qualitative realist evaluation
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 24219082 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Louise Lund Holm Thomsen (0000-0003-0405-0462), Marianne Stistrup Frederiksen (0000-0003-2504-7094), Clara Graugaard Andersen, Rhiannon Evans (0000-0002-0239-6331), Charlotte Overgaard (0000-0002-3370-2338) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 10 |
| Pages | 100879 |
| Publication date | 2026-12-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | SSM - Qualitative Research in Health (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2667-3215 • E-ISSN: 2667-3215 |
| Publisher | Elsevier BV (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.ssmqr.2026.100879 |
| OpenAlex | W7214201857 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 61 |
Expectant parents experiencing psychosocial vulnerability face significant risk of adverse perinatal outcomes, including higher susceptibility to mental health challenges, preterm birth, and intrauterine growth restriction. These vulnerabilities necessitate differentiated and tailored perinatal care services. This study explored how, for whom, and under what circumstances a cross-sectoral psycho-social vulnerability assessment and support intervention in the North Denmark Region worked to improve coping abilities and parenting skills among expectant and new parents in vulnerable positions. Guided by a realist evaluation framework, we conducted 25 interviews with parents. They included 10 dyadic interviews with mothers and fathers and 15 individual interviews with mothers. We tested and refined key assumptions about mechanisms and contextual factors influencing intervention outcomes. Compassion, acceptance, and emphasis on both parental resources and vulnerabilities were central mechanisms fostering engagement in supportive dialogues about parenting and support needs. Critical contextual factors included sufficient interaction time, professionals’ experience and confidence, and integrated collaborative practices among relevant services to create effective and timely safety nets for parents. The findings underscore the importance of relational continuity and trust in facilitating positive outcomes. The study shows that the intervention holds significant potential to achieve its goals when it successfully engages parents in supportive dialogues about their vulnerabilities and transition into parenthood. It further offers actionable insights into how cross-sectoral interventions can address the complex needs of vulnerable parents and advance care to reduce adverse outcomes.
Parents · perinatal mental health · psychosocial vulnerability · realist evaluation · support interventions · Maternal and Neonatal Healthcare · Maternal and Perinatal Health Interventions · Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum
A model and typology of collaboration between professionals in healthcare organizations
Sensitive Interviewing in Qualitative Research
Living With Fear
Barriers to the Integration of Care in Inter-Organisational Settings
Assessing the Mental Health of Fathers, Other Co-parents, and Partners in the Perinatal Period
It depends what you class as vulnerable’
Health care agreements as a tool for coordinating health and social services
A New Realistic Evaluation Analysis Method
Role of psychosocial risk factors in predicting maternal and paternal depressive symptomatology during pregnancy
Dark logic’
The contributions of scientific realism and critical realism to realist evaluation
Retroductive theorizing in Pawson and Tilley's applied scientific realism
A Realist Theory of Science
The craft of interviewing in realist evaluation
Theorizing the Interview
Recognizing and Overcoming Challenges of Couple Interview Research
Conducting Joint Interviews With Couples
Data Analysis and Synthesis Within a Realist Evaluation
Building Realist Program Theory for Large Complex and Messy Interventions
Using the realist interview approach to maintain theoretical awareness in realist studies
Am I rambling?' on the advantages of interviewing couples together
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |