Localising the Partners in Parenting program for Malaysia (PiP Malaysia): A qualitative study of cultural considerations

In Malaysia, parental concerns about adolescent mental health have increased exponentially in recent years. However, parental mental health literacy remains low and culturally-sensitive parenting resources are scarce in Malaysia. The Partners in Parenting (PiP) program provides a framework of evidence-based parenting domains (henceforth ‘PiP framework’) that are universally adaptive for adolescent mental health – presenting as a good candidate for implementation in other cultures. Guided by the Double Diamond framework, this study aimed to identify cultural considerations for localising PiP to the Malaysian context. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 38 primary caregivers (Mage = 47.1 years), who reflected on their parenting of their children during adolescence (aged 12–17 years). A thematic analysis using a deductive approach was conducted, using the PiP framework as a reference to identify cultural considerations in relation to five selected PiP parenting domains. Four overarching themes describing these cultural considerations were identified – Religion, Extended family, Gender roles, and Intergenerational influences – which were each relevant to one or more PiP parenting domains. These considerations, which reflect the complex interplay between parenting practices and the broader sociocultural environment in Malaysia, were further organised and interpreted within the context of the five interconnected cultural systems of the Bronfenbrenner socioecological model. Our approach facilitated a strategic, targeted localisation process, by identifying cultural considerations to be integrated into evidence-based intervention content. The context-specific implications for the localisation of PiP for Malaysia are discussed.