O-67 A qualitative exploration of parenting under adversity: “Surprisingly, it worked - using firecrackers to get her accustomed to the sound”

Methods: We recruited a sample of parents with children under the age of 18 in Port of Spain, Trinidad during March 2022. Through a series of focus group discussions with mothers and fathers, we explored parent’s perceptions of parenting under adversity. Finally, we performed a narrative analysis of participants’ responses, highlighting some of the mechanisms through which adversity might influence parent and child well-being.

Results: The majority of parents in our sample indicated that their personal well-being was challenged by present adverse circumstances. Nevertheless, parents adopted a range of coping mechanisms in their attempts to remain resilient parents. Despite their efforts to adopt a form of parental stoicism, many parents indicated a decline in their 51 mental health under adversity and some indicated their use of negative parenting practices. Unequal gender norms and mental health stigma also appear to contribute to poor parental well-being and strained family dynamics in the context of adverse circumstances.

Conclusion: Parents in our sample expressed a deep commitment to their children’s well-being and often displayed a strong sense of pride in their identity as parents. In an effort to achieve parental resilience, most parents reported expending intense energy on their children’s care during periods of adversity; perhaps with the right resources made available, some of this same vigour can be channelled into parents’ improving their own well-being for their family’s long-term benefit.