Parents' Perceptions of the Acceptability of Evidence-Based Interventions to Support Transition From Neonatal to Rehabilitation Services.

Background: Parents of children born preterm with a disability often experience profound psychological distress with transition from neonatal to rehabilitation services. Four interventions were found effective to support parents throughout this critical transition period whereby parental stress can threaten the child's development.

Purpose: To examine parents' perceptions of the acceptability of four evidence-based interventions to support their transition.

Methods: A quantitative design using survey methods was employed with 24 parents with experience in transition to rehabilitation services. Each participant rated the acceptability of the interventions using the Treatment Perception and Preference scale. Descriptive statistics and repeated measures analysis of variance were used for data analysis.

Results: Mean overall acceptability scores differed across the four interventions ( = .042); the difference was of moderate size (η = .11). Parents perceived psychoeducation and narrative therapy as most acceptable, followed by website consultation with healthcare providers and parent support program, then parent self-help program.

Conclusions: Psychoeducation and narrative therapy should be accessible to parents experiencing transition from neonatal to rehabilitation services.