Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, reduced access to childcare, money- and health-related worries and extended confinement and social isolation have placed great pressure on many families. There is evidence that many parents have struggled to manage their children’s behaviour.

For instance, Co-SPACE, an ongoing nationwide study led by the Oxford University, found a significant increase in parents reporting behavioural problems in children and an increase in family-related stress in response to various local and national lockdowns. Co-SPACE has also found up to 70% of parents reported wanting additional support.

The study SPARKLE (Supporting Parents and Kids through Lockdown Experiences) was launched this week to address this pressing need. The study, led by Dr Kasia Kostyrka-Allchorne and Professor Edmund Sonuga-Barke at King’s College London in collaboration with Oxford University and funded by UKRI, evaluates whether the negative effects of lockdown can by reversed by providing parenting advice digitally, using a mobile phone app.

The Parent Positive app will provide advice to parents, who need support with their children’s behaviour problems. The advice will be delivered through animations, delivering messages carefully selected by parents and experts in the field, and will be supplemented with practical parenting resources and an opportunity to network with other parents for peer support.

The animations, originally thought up by Professor Sonuga-Barke (the SPARKLE Principal Investigator) and the Parenting Under Pressure team, are light-hearted, humorous and non-judgmental and are delivered by eight high-profile celebrities who are also parents. The eight messages relate to: (1) staying positive and motivated (Olivia Colman), (2) making sure everyone knows what is expected of them (Sharon Horgan), (3) building your child's self-confidence and trust (Danny Dyer), (4) getting your child to follow instructions (Rob Brydon), (5) promoting better behaviour (Jessica Ennis-Hill), (6) limiting conflict (Holly Willoughby), (7) keeping calm when your kids act up (Romesh Ranganathan), and (8) careful use of sanctions (Shappi Khorsandi).

He added, ‘Working with our colleagues in Oxford, led by Professor Cathy Creswell, presents a unique opportunity to test whether giving parents access to this app can reverse the increase in behaviour problems they have seen in their cohort study’.

The study lead Dr Kasia Kostyrka-Allchorne added, “Apps are a great way to deliver advice and support to parents bringing up their children in difficult circumstances, whether this is during lockdown or other context when face-to-face help is not available. We know from previous studies that parenting support improves parents’ confidence and helps them to manage children’s problem behaviour. But many families can’t get access to that help. As nearly 80% of adults own a smartphone, digital parenting support not only can reach a large number of parents but can also be provided to families earlier when their difficulties are easier to address.”

The initial stage of the SPARKLE study will involve 616 Co-SPACE parents, half with access to the Parent Positive app and half without. A positive response to the app will allow the app to be nationally-distributed through collaboration with Public Health England and the Department of Education, in cooperation with commercial media partners.

The Parent Positive app will be launched on 11 May. Find out more on the SPARKLE web pages.

Contact

For interviews or any further media information please contact Louise Pratt, Head of Communications, IoPPN: louise.a.pratt@kcl.ac.uk / +44 7850 919020

For more information on Co-SPACE study, visit Co-SPACE website or contact study co-leads Prof Cathy Creswell or Assoc Prof Polly Waite

For more information on SPARKLE study, contact sparkle@kcl.ac.uk