Understanding how parents engage with the labour market when they have children who experience emotion-based school non-attendance: Exploring micro- and macro-level impacts

esearch question The research questions for this study are as follows: What are the socio-economic and health impacts of "Ghost Parenting", where parents reduce or leave paid employment due to their child s persistent emotional-based school non-attendance (EBSNA). How might families be better supported to remain in or return to the workforce? Background Persistent EBSNA has risen sharply since COVID-19, with over 1.6 million children in England and Scotland identified as persistently absent in 2023/24. Many of these children are neurodivergent and/or experiencing mental health difficulties. Their parents often withdraw from employment, experiencing social, economic, and health consequences. While the phenomenon of "Ghost Parenting" has been identified through co-produced qualitative work, the wider impacts on families, labour markets, and society remain underexplored. No existing framework addresses how these parents might be supported to sustain or re-enter employment. Aims and objectives This project aims to (1) characterise the micro- and macro-level impacts of Ghost Parenting; (2) identify barriers and facilitators to employment sustainability for affected parents; and (3) co-produce a feasible, evidence-informed intervention framework for future testing. Methods We will employ a multi-method, interdisciplinary approach: Work Package 1: Systematic scoping reviews across health, social science, and policy literatures to map existing evidence and gaps. Work Package 2: Qualitative interviews, focus groups, and questionnaires with Ghost Parents (n≈50 families) to identify barriers, facilitators, and family-level impacts. Work Package 3: Early-stage economic modelling with the Health Economics and Health Technology Assessment Centre to scope social and economic costs of Ghost Parents leaving employment. Work Package 4: Co-creation workshops with parents, third-sector organisations, and policy stakeholders to design an intervention framework. Cross-cutting: Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) activities integrated throughout, including an Advisory Group of Ghost Parents. Timelines for delivery This 10-month study will deliver the scoping review and stakeholder consultations in the first 4 months, primary qualitative data collection between months 2–9, economic modelling by month 10, and the co-produced intervention framework by project end. Anticipated impact and dissemination This project addresses NIHR priorities around unpaid carers, mental health, and employment sustainability. Anticipated outcomes include: (1) the first cross-disciplinary evidence base on Ghost Parenting; (2) a co-produced intervention framework ready for feasibility testing; and (3) economic estimates of the societal costs of Ghost Parents leaving the workforce. Findings will be disseminated via academic publications, policy briefs, and collaborative workshops with families, third-sector organisations, and policymakers, ensuring alignment with national priorities on health, education, and employment.