Objective Parental Reflective Functioning (PRF) and Emotion Socialization (ES) are significant influencers in the development of emotion competence in children; however, the relationship between these two parenting practices is understudied, particularly in parents of preschool and primary school children (4–12 years). This systematic review aimed to examine the relationship between PRF and ES in parents of children in this age group, along with how it influences children’s emotional competence and problem behaviours. Method: Using the PRISMA guidelines, Embase, Medline, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Web of Science, Pub Med, Scopus, and Cochrane Reviews were searched in April 2025 and updated in February 2026. Included studies examined the relationship between PRF and ES in parents of children aged 4–12 years and reported child outcomes such as emotion competence and behaviour problems. Results: A total of four studies, one RCT and three cross-sectional studies meet the inclusion criteria, with a combined N of 1501 parent participants. Studies were undertaken in China, Korea, Canada, and Australia, and predominantly included mothers. Conclusion: Although only four studies were identified, the consistent relationships found between PRF, ES, and child outcomes highlight the need for further study in this area. Overall, higher PRF was associated with more effective ES parenting practices, and both greater PRF and greater ES were linked to improved child outcomes. Prevention efforts may be strengthened by integrating these constructs into parenting interventions, enabling parents not only to recognise their child’s internal experiences but also use this understanding to enhance their emotion socialisation practices, ultimately improving child outcomes.
Purpose Consumer engagement within co-design research and service-delivery contexts is increasing internationally. Despite growing expectations for consumer involvement in funded research, empirical evidence describing meaningful co-design from mothers’ perspectives remains limited. This case study explored mothers’ experiences of participating in co-design for a perinatal mental health research project. Methods The case study involved two 90-minute online workshops with four mothers at the conclusion of a 14-month co-design research project. Workshop 1 data were analysed using a participatory sensemaking within a qualitative descriptive framework. Workshop 2 involved collaborative refinement and consensus of preliminary interpretations. Results Six interconnected learnings informed a conceptual model of meaningful co-design. The model identified: (i) skilled facilitation as underpinning the key principles; (ii) co-design as a relational experience rather than a procedural process; (iii) flexibility as enabling equitable participation over time; (iv) clear researcher–participant boundaries as enhancing trust; (v) iterative checking of assumptions as essential; and (vi) positive consumer experiences as promoting ongoing advocacy for consumer engagement. Conclusion Meaningful co-design was experienced as an active, relational and facilitation-dependent process rather than a procedural requirement. These findings provide practice-based guidance and offer a conceptual framework for understanding how meaningful consumer co-design engagement is experienced by mothers, strengthening methodological transparency in participatory perinatal mental health research.
Background Parents of children with transfusion-dependent beta-thalassemia major (TDT-βTM) face persistent treatment demands, while evidence for family-resilience interventions is limited. Objective To evaluate whether participation in a Walsh Family Resilience Framework-based psychoeducational program was associated with greater improvement in family resilience than standard care. Methods This quasi-experimental nonequivalent control-group study included 104 parents of children with TDT-βTM in Indonesia. Participants were allocated by clinic day to psychoeducation (n=52) or standard care (n=52). The intervention comprised four weekly individual sessions, a workbook, and individualized WhatsApp reinforcement. Family resilience was assessed at baseline, immediately post-intervention, and 3 months with a 14-item Indonesian-adapted questionnaire (range 14–70). A restricted-maximum-likelihood linear mixed-effects model with a participant-level random intercept and AR(1) residual covariance examined group-by-time differences. Results Mean scores increased from 55.10 (SD 12.75) at baseline to 62.21 (SD 6.61) post-intervention and 62.67 (SD 6.46) at 3 months in the intervention group, versus 56.29 (SD 9.15), 56.73 (SD 8.92), and 56.58 (SD 8.76) in controls. Between-group differences in change were 6.67 points (95% CI 4.32–9.02; p < .001) post-intervention and 7.29 points (95% CI 4.94–9.64; p < .001) at 3 months. Conclusion Participation in the Walsh-based program was associated with greater improvement in family resilience. The 3-month result reflects continued workbook and WhatsApp reinforcement and does not establish persistence after support cessation. Because allocation was nonrandomized and no mental-health outcomes were measured, findings remain preliminary.
Objective Despite growing interest in mindful parenting, research on mindful parenting programs for urban Chinese families remains scarce. This study examined the feasibility of an 8-week mindful parenting program in a community sample of urban Chinese parents. Methods This single-arm, non-randomized mixed-methods feasibility study enrolled 18 parents of children aged 3-9 years in an eight-week group-based mindful parenting program. Parents completed weekly satisfaction surveys and reported their weekly engagement in mindfulness practices throughout the program. Upon completion, two focus group interviews were conducted with a subset of participants (n = 12) to explore their experiences, perceived benefits, challenges, and suggestions for improvement. Results Parents reported high overall satisfaction (M = 9.51/10.00). Eleven parents (11/18, 61.1%) attended six or more sessions. Across the weekly home-practice reports, parents practiced mindfulness an average of 2.25 times per week. Qualitative findings suggested that parents experienced greater emotional awareness and improved family relationships, but also encountered difficulties in applying mindfulness in emotionally charged daily situations. Parents recommended more scenario-based role-play and follow-up support to strengthen transfer and sustained practice. Conclusion The findings provide preliminary support for the feasibility of the mindful parenting program among urban Chinese parents, while also indicating the need for adaptations to support everyday family practice in urban Chinese contexts.
Objective To examine barriers, facilitators, and cross-sectoral strategies related to school-based mental health promotion in Portugal from the perspectives of teachers and school health professionals. Methods This observational analytical cross-sectional study included 112 teachers and 47 school health professionals in Portugal. Profession-specific questionnaires assessed preparedness, structural and organisational barriers, facilitating factors, resources, and intersectoral collaboration. Conceptually related Likert-scale items were grouped into domains and assessed for internal consistency using Cronbach’s alpha. Descriptive statistics, chi-square or Fisher’s exact tests, and Mann–Whitney U tests were used, with phi and rank-biserial correlations as effect sizes. Results Among teachers, individual and pedagogical facilitators had the highest domain score (M = 3.94), while organisational support and professional development had the lowest (M = 2.82); structural and contextual challenges were also highly endorsed (M = 3.80). Among school health professionals, structural and resource-related challenges scored highest (M = 3.89), whereas institutional, intersectoral, and support-related facilitators showed moderate endorsement (M = 3.17). No significant between-group differences were found in resource availability. School health professionals more often endorsed training, active school-community participation, and working groups as collaboration strategies, although effect sizes were small. Teachers reported greater preparedness to identify mental health warning signs (p = 0.017; |r|rb = 0.229); other comparable items showed non-significant differences with small or near-zero effect sizes. Conclusion School-based mental health promotion is supported by strong professional and relational facilitators but constrained by structural, organisational, resource-related, and intersectoral challenges. Strengthening school–health partnerships, workforce capacity, organisational support, and sustainable implementation may support more integrated mental health promotion.
