A multi-perspective exploration of health visitors’ family focused practice with mothers who have mental illness and their families: a mixed methods study protocol

Background: Maternal mental illness is a major public health issue and
can adversely affect the whole family. Worldwide, about 10% of
pregnant women and 13% of women who have just given birth
experience a mental illness, primarily depression and anxiety.
Increasingly, research and policy are recognising the benefits of a family
focused approach to practice. This approach emphasises the family as
the unit of attention. Currently, little research is available which has
explored Family Focused Practice (FFP) in health visiting.

Objective: This study aims to explore health visitors’ FFP with mothers
who have mental illness and their partners.

Methods: A mixed-methods sequential explanatory design consisting of
two phases; quantitative followed by qualitative, will be utilised in this
study. In the first phase, the Family Focused Mental Health Practice
Questionnaire will be used to measure the extent of health visitors’
family focused practice, and factors that enable and hinder it. The
questionnaire will be distributed to practicing health visitors (n=410). In
the second phase, semi-structured interviews will be conducted with
health visitors, mothers who have mental illnesses and their partners, to
further explore and explain the findings from phase one.

Discussion: While the evidence base for the adoption of a family focused
approach is growing, there is little understanding of health visitors’
family focused practice with mothers who have mental illness and their
partners. This study will develop understanding of health visitors’ family
focused practice, from multiple perspectives, that can be used to inform
practice, education, research and policy.