An Evidence-Based Practice Developed in-situ: Let's Talk About Children and a Consolidation of Its Evidence Base

Abstract

BackgroundTraditional models of evidence-based practice assume knowledge is developed in research settings before being installed in practice settings. The role practice settings can play in enhancing effectiveness and enabling sustainability is not therefore acknowledged. Developing interventions in-situ alongside developing their evidence base, provides another pathway to evidence-based practice. One example is Let's Talk about Children (LTC), a brief family-focused intervention that promotes parent, family and child wellbeing. Let's Talk about Children has been developed and adapted to respond to the context into which it has been established, leading to different descriptions reported in its 20 year collection of evidence. Collating the diverse literature on LTC, this paper showcases an evidence-based practice developed in-situ in order to guide future innovation.MethodUsing an integrative review, key literature using LTC were identified through electronic databases and snowballing techniques. Constant comparison analysis synthesized the data to develop patterns and themes.FindingsFrom the 26 records, three forms of LTC were identified and outcomes related to parents, family and child wellbeing, implementation and sustainability were collated. Consolidated outcomes show overall agreement in effectiveness and acceptability outcomes across different settings and populations. Implementation and sustainability impacts are entwined with the context, and influenced by its development in-situ.ConclusionsThe study documents that the in-situ model is effective at developing sustainable evidence-based practice. In consolidating the evidence, the review clarified LTC's forms and outcomes, and draws attention to the importance of research on mechanisms of change.

Sustaining efforts to improve family well-being with parents with mental ill health and substance (mis)use

“…Furthermore, interventions don’t stand alone but exist within a broader context of service systems and other interventions that influence sustainability. Take for example Child Talks in The Netherlands and LTC in Finland, which were developed in situ and sit within a suite of structures and interventions ( 44 – 46 ). These context-related factors provide (or inhibit) entry points to the intervention, authorising systems for its use, and linkages to further support if required, and work as scaffolding around the interventions, influencing their sustainability.…”

The “Let’s Talk about Children” intervention in a Finnish school context: fidelity, parents’ experiences, and perceived benefits

“…The LTC method has been developed and adapted to respond to the context in which it has been implemented (Allchin and Solantaus, 2022). The school version of the LTC intervention was developed in collaboration with mental health professionals, schools, teachers, and families.…”

‘Let’s Talk About Children’ Family Focused Practice for Children of Parents with Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

“…One of these interventions is Let's Talk about Children (LTC). LTC is a brief program designed to be delivered in low resource settings to help parents with mental illnesses build protective relationships with their children and improve family functioning (Allchin et al, 2020;Allchin & Solantaus, 2022).…”