PaWS Framework (Parental Wellbeing Support for parents of children with Additional Needs)
University of Bath: Faith Martin (PI), Fiona Gillison, Vuokko Wallace
University of Bristol: Karen Low
Cardiff University: Catherine Jones, Jeremy Segrott
University of Exeter: Gretchen Bjornstad, Christopher Morris, Jim Reeder
Parents of children with additional needs, including long-term physical conditions, neurodevelopmental conditions (e.g. autism, ADHD), and mental health difficulties, consistently report high levels of stress, anxiety, and emotional strain. These challenges are not confined to one diagnosis: parents often face similar pressures related to care coordination, uncertainty, service navigation, and impacts on family and working life.
Despite this, support for parents’ own wellbeing remains fragmented and inconsistent across health, education and social care. Existing provision often focuses on parenting skills or supporting the child, rather than addressing parents’ own needs directly. This represents a critical gap, particularly given strong evidence linking parental wellbeing to child outcomes, including mental health, adjustment, and engagement with services.
There is currently no shared framework that defines parental wellbeing needs across conditions, or that guides how support should be delivered across systems. Addressing this gap aligns with UK priorities to improve population mental health, reduce inequalities, and strengthen integrated, family-centred care.
This project will approach this challenge by establishing a cross-GW4 research community to develop a coherent framework for parental wellbeing support across childhood conditions.
The work will bring together expertise spanning psychology, paediatrics, public health, genetics, and policy, alongside parents and service partners. It has three focused components. First, an umbrella review will synthesise existing evidence on parents’ needs and experiences across conditions, identifying common mechanisms and gaps in support. Second, structured consultation with parent experts will ensure the framework is grounded in lived experience and captures both shared and condition-specific priorities. Third, the team will use these findings to define the scope and structure of a major funding application to NIHR.
The project will produce a clear conceptual map of parental wellbeing needs, a co-produced set of priorities for support, and a strong interdisciplinary team positioned to deliver a large-scale programme of research. It will also establish a sustainable GW4 network to drive future collaboration, funding, and impact.
