Research Summary:
Transitioning to parenting – embrace, educate, empower – a pathway to supporting perinatal mental health in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Tēnā Koē
Ko Waitakere tōku pae maunga
Ko Waitemata tōku moana
Ko Patrick Donovan te rangatira o runga Ko Aerana tōku iwi
Ko Hall tōku whānau I nāianei kei Tauranga Moana tōku kainga noho
Ko Michelle tōku ingoa
My name is Michelle Hall. I am undertaking a research project as part of my Masters of Applied Social Work degree at Massey University, which aims to explore how we embrace, educate and empower parents and support their perinatal mental health in Aotearoa New Zealand.
I have a passion for the field of perinatal mental health and believe that if we embrace, educate, and empower parents it will nourish stronger tamariki, whānau, communities and our collective society. For the past five years I have been delivering perinatal mental health support services in Aotearoa and this mahi (work) has initiated this research which intends to explore preventative pathways which support parents and their mental health. This research will complete my final year of The Applied Master of Social Work degree at Massey University.
Research Purpose
The aim of this research is to explore the perceptions of perinatal care professionals regarding the preparedness and education of new parents and the implications for parental mental health. The research seeks to understand these care professionals’ assessment of the current efficacy and delivery of antenatal education in Aotearoa New Zealand. It will identify gaps and make recommendations for further development and improvement to support the transition to parenting for all whānau in bringing through the next generation.
Who and what is involved?
For the purposes of this study, “care profession” is defined as any profession that provides guidance, education or support services to parents throughout the perinatal time (from pre-conception through to one year postnatal). I am hoping to recruit five perinatal care professionals from diverse backgrounds which could include social workers, nurses, antenatal/childbirth educators, midwives, doulas, parenting coaches, and healthcare professionals.
Specific criteria:
- Professionals must be currently employed within the perinatal sector with a minimum of two years’ experience working in the field and / or a lived experience of parenting.
- professionals must have a knowledge of mental health issues relating to the perinatal period.
- to avoid conflict of interest, participants may not be a past or current client or have a shared client with the researcher.
People who are interested and meet the above description will be invited to participate in an individual interview with me at a mutually agreeable time and venue. Where feasible kanohi ki te kanohi (face to face) meetings will be arranged but if impractical, online (Zoom, Teams, Messenger) or phone interviews can be arranged.
Project process
Each interview will run between 45-90 minutes in length, with first part of the session dedicated to whakawhanangatanga (relationship building) including discussing aspects of the information sheet, and, if participation is agreed, signing of the participant consent form. The rest of the time will be an individual audio-recorded interview, covering the interview questions. These digitally recorded interviews will be transcribed by me, and all information will be stored securely on a password protected device. After the interview is typed up, you will have an opportunity to review the written record and amend anything you wish, or you can choose to withdraw your entire interview record. We will mutually decide on a timeframe and method of returning the checked written interview record and signed Authority for the Release of Transcripts form.
Each participant will be treated with respect, be informed and consulted, with confidentiality assured throughout the duration of the research. Participants will be given a pseudonym for anonymity and organisational information will be removed from the data. Access to raw data and transcripts will be restricted to the researcher and her supervisor. The digital and hard copies of all collected data and signed documents will be permanently deleted and destroyed after the completion of the Masters degree. Please note that excerpts from your interview summary may be used as quotes or sentences but no identifiable information will be released in the final report. They may also be included in further articles, conferences or professional presentations as an outcome of this research; however, neither you nor the other participants will be named in such publications.
Due to the mental health component of this research, care will be taken to minimize risk of harm; interviews will be conducted in a safe, sensitive and conscious manner spending time building whanaungatanga, exchanging stories and kōrero about our background and whakapapa. I would like to offer acknowledgement of your time and wisdom via a koha (gift) if you choose to be part of this project.
Participant’s Rights
You are under no obligation to accept this invitation. If you decide to participate, you have the right to:
- decline to answer any particular question;
- ask for the recorder to be turned off at any time during the interview.
- withdraw from the study (until signing the authority to release the transcript);
- ask any questions about the study at any time during participation;
- provide information on the understanding that your name will not be used unless you give permission to the researcher;
- be given access to a summary of the project findings when it is concluded.
This project has been evaluated by peer review and judged to be low risk. Consequently, it has not been reviewed by one of the University’s Human Ethics Committees. The researcher(s) named above are responsible for the ethical conduct of this research. If you have any concerns about the conduct of this research that you wish to raise with someone other than the researcher(s), please contact Prof Craig Johnson, Director, Research Ethics, telephone (06) 356 9099 extn 85271, email humanethics@massey.ac.nz
Project Contacts
Student Researcher
Michelle Hall
Master of Applied Social Work
Massey University
Palmerston North
Phone: 021 541 440
Email:
MichelleHall.Hall.1@uni.massey.ac.nz
Research Supervisor
Lareen Cooper
School of Social Work Massey
University Palmerston North
L.Cooper@massey.ac.nz
Course Coordinator
Associate Professor
Kathryn Hay
School of Social Work
Massey University
Palmerston North
k.s.hay@massey.ac.nz
Thank you for considering this mahi
Ngā mihi nui
Michelle Hall
Date published: 09 June 2023
Date closes: 09 August 2023
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