Provision for parents on psychiatric inpatient units
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN69583343 |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN69583343 |
| Integrated Research Application System (IRAS) | 340906 |
| National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) | NIHR207868 |
| Sponsor | University of Sussex |
| Funder | National Institute for Health and Care Research |
- Submission date
- 23/02/2026
- Registration date
- 24/02/2026
- Last edited
- 24/02/2026
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Overall study status
- Ongoing
- Condition category
- Mental and Behavioural Disorders
Plain English summary of protocol
Background and study aims
When a parent is admitted to a psychiatric inpatient unit, they are separated from their family and this is often distressing for parents, children and carers. Visiting can help maintain family relationships, but many inpatient wards have limited or unsuitable facilities for children and families. Some visiting rooms are described as unwelcoming, uncomfortable or inappropriate for children.
The Provision for Parents on Psychiatric Inpatient Units (POPI) study aims to understand how parents, children and young people, carers and healthcare professionals experience family visits during psychiatric hospital admission. We also aim to identify practical improvements to the hospital environment and visiting procedures that could better support emotional wellbeing and parent–child relationships.
Who can participate?
1. Parents aged 18 years or over who have been admitted to a psychiatric inpatient unit since July 2021 and had a child aged under 18 years at the time
2. Children and young people aged 8–18 years who have visited a parent in psychiatric hospital since July 2021
3. Adult carers of children whose parent has been hospitalised
4. Healthcare professionals who currently work, or have worked in the past 2 years, on adult psychiatric inpatient wards
What does the study involve?
The study has two parts.
In Part 1, participants will take part in a one-to-one interview (30–60 minutes), either online, by telephone, or in person. Children and young people will be invited to take part in a creative “draw, write, tell” interview to help them share their experiences.
In Part 2, a larger group of parents, carers and healthcare professionals will complete a short (10–15 minute) anonymous online questionnaire about visiting experiences and suggested improvements.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
Participants may value the opportunity to share their experiences and contribute to improving services for families in the future.
Discussing hospital experiences may feel emotional or upsetting. Interviews will be conducted sensitively by trained researchers, and participants can pause or stop at any time. Information about support services will be provided.
Where is the study run from?
The study is led by the University of Sussex (UK). Recruitment takes place both in the community (across the UK) and within two NHS trusts: Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
March 2026 to November 2026
Who is funding the study?
The study is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Research for Patient Benefit Programme (NIHR207868) (UK)
Who is the main contact?
Dr Abby Dunn, Abby.Dunn@sussex.ac.uk
Contact information
Public, Scientific, Principal investigator
University of Sussex
Falmer
Brighton
BN1 9QH
United Kingdom
 ORCID ID |
0000-0003-1911-414X |
|---|---|
| Phone | +44 (0)7775937378 |
| ad560@sussex.ac.uk |
Study information
| Primary study design | Observational |
|---|---|
| Observational study design | Mixed methods |
| Scientific title | Mixed methods investigation into provision of family rooms and support for parents admitted to psychiatric inpatient units and their children |
| Study acronym | POPI |
| Study objectives | Aim: To understand the perceptions and experiences of family hospital visits from stakeholders and end users (patients, children and young people, carers and healthcare professionals) with the aim of identifying target enhancements. This will inform a co-production process to develop a template ‘Family Visit Pack’ (this is a subsequent project not detailed in this protocol). Research questions: 1. How do patients, children, carers and healthcare professionals experience psychiatric inpatient unit provision for family visitation, and how could it be improved? 2. What enhancements to the hospital environment and service delivery are prioritised by users and what changes would facilitate emotional wellbeing during visits? Objectives: 1. To interview parents, children and young people, carers and healthcare professionals to gain understanding of experiences of visitation during parental psychiatric hospitalisation. 2. To conduct a survey of patients, carers and healthcare professionals to determine what environmental and service delivery changes are priorities for users of family visiting facilities within inpatient psychiatric inpatient units. |
| Ethics approval(s) |
Approved 26/01/2026, East Midlands - Derby Research Ethics Committee (2 Redman Place, London, EC20 1JR, United Kingdom; +44 (0)207 104 8285; Derby.rec@hra.nhs.uk), ref: 26/EM/0005 |
| Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied | Experience of treatment within a psychiatric inpatient unit |
| Intervention | Exploratory sequential mixed-method design in which qualitative data collected during online interviews (work package 1) will inform the design of a subsequent online questionnaire (work package 2). |
| Intervention type | Other |
| Primary outcome measure(s) |
|
| Key secondary outcome measure(s) | |
| Completion date | 30/11/2026 |
Eligibility
| Participant type(s) | |
|---|---|
| Age group | Mixed |
| Lower age limit | 8 Years |
| Upper age limit | 100 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Target sample size at registration | 136 |
| Key inclusion criteria | Work package 1: Children/young people: 1. Aged 8 to 18 years 2. Can recollect visiting a parent (including co-parent/biological/adopted/step/grandparent) who has been treated on a IPU since July 2021 3. Capacity to consent to take part (if aged 16 years or over) or assents to take part and parent/carer consents for their participation (ages 8-15 years) 4. Has provided contact information for parent/carer Work package 1 and 2 Parents • Adults (18 years and above). • Current or prior experience (since July 2021) of psychiatric hospitalisation while a parent (biological, step, adopted) to child (<18 at time of hospitalisation) who visited a parent in hospital. • Capacity to consent. • No exclusion on grounds of diagnosis or spoken English. Carers • Adult (18 years and above) • Capacity to consent • Current/prior experience (since July 2021) of caring for a child (<18) whose parent (co-parent/biological parent; grandparent; sibling; foster carer) was hospitalised on IPU. Healthcare Professionals • Adult (18 years and above) • Currently working on an adult IPU or has worked on an adult IPU in the last two years for a minimum of six months. Roles will include nurses, care assistants, psychologists, occupational therapists, psychiatrists, reception staff. |
| Key exclusion criteria | Work package 1: Children and young people (CYP): 1. Aged under 8 years of age 2. Difficulties with speech, learning or development such that involvement in the interview process is deemed to be challenging or distressing (will be determined with CYP and carer) Work packages 1 & 2: Parents: 1. Under 18 years of age 2. Does not have capacity to consent Carers: 1. Under 18 years of age 2. Does not have capacity to consent Healthcare professionals: 1. Works in a role which does not have familiarity with family rooms (e.g., human resources) |
| Date of first enrolment | 02/03/2026 |
| Date of final enrolment | 30/11/2026 |
Locations
Countries of recruitment
- United Kingdom
- England
Study participating centres
Randalls Road
Leatherhead
KT22 7AD
England
Swandean
Arundel Road
Worthing
BN13 3EP
England
Results and Publications
| Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share | No |
|---|---|
| IPD sharing plan summary | Not expected to be made available |
| IPD sharing plan |
Editorial Notes
24/02/2026: Study's existence confirmed by the HRA.
