Research opportunity for parent members: share your antenatal experiences

Amelia Balchin is a Trainee Clinical Psychologist at the University of East London (UEL). Amelia is conducting some research into the journeys of parents who continue their pregnancies following an antenatal diagnosis of a congenital condition. For the interview-based study, she is keen to speak to Shine parent members who received a diagnosis at least one year ago.

The study will explore the impact of diagnosis on parents, what support was offered and/or accessed, and whether parents continue to experience any long-term impacts from their antenatal experiences. The research will then consider the implications and changes needed for clinical practice in the UK.

It is hoped that the study will provide new evidence to challenge the way that parents are currently supported in the NHS and provide an opportunity to improve future services.  

The project is supervised by Dr Hannah Eades from UEL and has ethical approval. Ethics Committee Reference Number: 471/2631770/04-25  

Who can take part? 

Participants must be: 

• Over the age of 18  
• Experienced a diagnosis of a fetal anomaly, in which they chose to continue the pregnancy. This can include partners of the pregnant individual who received a diagnosis   
• There must be a minimum of 12 months since this diagnosis. This can include parents who may have continued their pregnancy but lost their infant  
• Able to speak English 
• Live in the UK and were living in the UK at the time of this diagnosis 
• Are able to attend an interview either on Microsoft Teams or over the phone 

What will I need to do?

• Read the Participation Information Form and answer some brief demographic questions prior to or during our meeting.
• Complete an interview one-to-one with the researcher, which will last approximately between 45 and 90 minutes.
• Meet for the interview either online via Microsoft Teams or over the phone. This will be the participant's choice.  

Remuneration

£10 vouchers for Love2Shop or Amazon will be available to those who complete an interview.  

How do I find out more, or take part? 

To volunteer to take part, or if you have any questions, please email Amelia Balchin at u2631770@uel.ac.uk or complete the following link: https://forms.office.com/e/Gewi0idLR1.