Aims: To explore how consultation exercises were described in a convenience sample of recent scoping reviews.Design: Critical literature review.Data sources: We searched PsycINFO, Embase, CINAHL and PubMed in July 2020. Our inclusion criterion was a peer‐reviewed journal article reporting a scoping review in Danish, English, Norwegian or Swedish.Review methods: We identified a convenience sample of articles (n = 66) reporting a consultation exercise as part of a scoping review. The descriptions of the consultation were charted, summarized and critically discussed.Results: The current analysis showed no widely accepted consensus on how to approach and report a consultation exercise in the sample of scoping reviews. The reports of stakeholder consultation processes were often brief and general, and often there were no reports of the effects of the stakeholder consultation processes. Further, there was no discussion of the principal theoretical problems mixing stakeholder voices and review findings.Conclusion: The finding that conventional research ethics and research methods often were suspended could indicate that the stakeholder consultants were in a precarious position because of power imbalances between researchers and stakeholder consultants. We suggest that a consultation exercise should only be included when it genuinely invites participation and reports on the effect of alternative voices.Impact: Scoping reviews are common across a range of disciplines, but they often lack definitional and methodological clarity. In their influential approach to scoping studies, Arksey and OʼMalley introduced an optional ‘consultation exercise’, which has been heralded as a valuable tool that can be used to strengthen the process and outcome of a scoping study and to support the dissemination of the studyʼs findings and its implications. However, there is no clear outline on about how to operationalize consultations of stakeholders in scoping studies/reviews. This article includes recommendations for consultation exercises, including encouraging an aspirational move from ‘consultation’ to ‘participation’.

A suicide attempt is a significant burden on the suicidal person, the family, and the community. The psychosocial strain on parents after their offspring’s suicide attempt is significant. The aim of this study was to gain insight into how a parent’s relationship with a partner was affected after their son or daughter’s suicide attempt or serious suicide threats. Individual in-depth interviews were made of 19 parents recruited through a Danish non-governmental organisation in 2013. Data were analysed using a generic thematic analysis. A key category “Sense of solidarity” and two sub-categories “Challenges to the relationship” and “Responding to different reactions and coping strategies” were constructed. Sense of solidarity was important for the parents’ co-parenting and how they engaged with the situation as a couple. The group of participants was heterogeneous and had learned to manage the stressful situation in different ways. Interventions to support parents of sons or daughters who have attempted suicide should include a stronger focus on parents’ co-parenting abilities in the family system in order to support the well-being of the whole family.

This study explored how eight pregnant women diagnosed with depression managed the decision whether or not to take antidepressants during pregnancy. In total, 11 interviews were conducted and analysed by means of constructivist grounded theory. The major category constructed was Balancing risk, with two minor categories: Assessing depression and antidepressants and Evaluating the impact of significant others. The participants tried to make the safest decision, taking all aspects of their life into consideration. They described successful decision-making in the context of managing social norms that surround pregnancy, in a way that was acceptable to themselves, their significant others and healthcare professionals.

Health inequality can have a profound impact on a child’s life. Maternal mental health challenges can hinder bonding, leading to impaired functioning and poorer child outcomes. To provide extra support for vulnerable pregnant women, the FACAM intervention offers the services of a health nurse or family therapist from pregnancy until the child starts school. This study examined the effects of FACAM intervention on pregnant women in vulnerable positions and their children until the child turned two years old. We randomly assigned 331 pregnant women to either FACAM intervention or care as usual and assessed them at baseline and when the infant was 3–6, 12–13.5, and 24 months old. The primary outcome was maternal sensitivity measured by Coding Interactive Behavior (CIB). Secondary outcomes included the parent–child relationship, child social–emotional development, child developmental progress, parent–child interaction, and child development. Our findings indicate that care-as-usual children were significantly more involved than FACAM children when the child was 4–6 months old (b = −0.25, [−0.42; −0.08] d = −0.42). However, we suspect this result is due to a biased dropout. We did not find any significant differences in any other outcomes. Therefore, the study suggests that the FACAM intervention is not superior to care as usual regarding child development and parent–child interaction outcomes.

The aim of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of the experiences and perspectives of care professionals in multidisciplinary and cross-sectorial collaboration, and their experiences of interactions with childbearing families within the context of the FACAM project. Eight focus groups were conducted with 32 multidisciplinary care professionals working with childbearing families in vulnerable positions. A thematic analysis was conducted, with positioning theory as the theoretical framework focusing on storylines, positioning and speech-acts. Two overall themes were constructed. Theme one: Cross-sectorial collaboration and the influence on the care provided. Theme two: Interaction with and assessment of women and families' care needs and their influence on the care provided, with three subthemes; a) Establishment of a trustful relationship, b) Assessments of vulnerable positions in relation to function in everyday life, c) Interactions with the woman or family depending on their needs. Care professionals found needs-adapted and tailored care meaningful. Well-functioning multidisciplinary and cross-sectorial collaboration was important to support the families.

Background/Objectives: The transition to motherhood can be particularly challenging for women with limited socioeconomic resources or mental health concerns. The FAmily Clinic And Municipality (FACAM) intervention was designed to provide additional support through health visitors or family therapists, starting in pregnancy and continuing until the child reached school age. This paper evaluates the effects of the FACAM intervention on the secondary outcomes, maternal mental health and parental functioning during the child’s first year of life. Methods: A total of 331 pregnant women were randomized to either the FACAM intervention (n = 163) or usual care (n = 168). Participants completed questionnaires at baseline and at 3 (N = 284) and 12 (N = 248) months postpartum. Outcomes included maternal mental well-being, satisfaction with motherhood, depressive symptoms, parental stress, parental reflective functioning, worries, and breastfeeding duration. Results: At 12 months postpartum, FACAM mothers reported greater concern about housing issues (b = 0.56, 95% CI [0.06, 1.06], p = 0.03). No other significant differences in the reported outcomes were observed between the groups. Conclusion: The FACAM intervention did not demonstrate superiority over usual care in improving maternal mental health and parental functioning during the first year postpartum. The high-quality and needs-based approach of standard care in Denmark may have limited the potential for additional interventions to yield measurable improvements in maternal outcomes.