Suzanne M. Andeweg, F. Fenne Bodrij, Mariëlle J. L. Prevoo, Ralph C. A. Rippe, Lenneke R. A. Alink
{"title":"Household chaos and parenting: The effect of household chaos does not depend on sensory-processing sensitivity and self-regulation","authors":"Suzanne M. Andeweg, F. Fenne Bodrij, Mariëlle J. L. Prevoo, Ralph C. A. Rippe, Lenneke R. A. Alink","doi":"10.1002/imhj.22105","DOIUrl":"10.1002/imhj.22105","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Previous studies have found evidence for a causal effect of household chaos on parenting and suggest that this effect may be stronger for parents with higher sensory-processing sensitivity (SPS) or lower self-regulation. This study investigates whether primary caregivers of children around age 1.5–2 years show greater improvement in parenting after a decrease in household chaos if parents have higher SPS or lower self-regulation. The study employs a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design with an intervention aimed at reducing household chaos. A total of 125 parents of toddlers participated in the study. All participants were living in the Netherlands at the time of the study, 89% identified with the Dutch ethnicity and 11% with a non-Dutch ethnicity. Self-report as well as objective measures were used, including videotaped parent-child interactions and home observations. The effect of the intervention on parenting did not depend on SPS or self-regulation. When studying the relation between change in measures of household chaos and posttest parenting, decreased self-reported household chaos was related to less harsh discipline in parents with higher self-regulation, and to more harsh discipline in parents with lower self-regulation. However, this is a tentative finding that should be further explored in future research.</p>","PeriodicalId":48026,"journal":{"name":"Infant Mental Health Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-02-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/imhj.22105","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139703772","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Infant carrying: Associations with parental reflective functioning, parental bonding and parental responses to infant crying","authors":"Christine Firk, Nicola Großheinrich","doi":"10.1002/imhj.22106","DOIUrl":"10.1002/imhj.22106","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Infant carrying may have beneficial effects on the parent-infant relationship but only limited research has been conducted in this area. Therefore, the main aim of the current study was to investigate whether infant carrying is associated with parental reflective functioning, parental bonding, and parental (emotional) and behavioral responses to infant crying, key elements within the parent-infant relationship, promoting infant development. Parents reporting high levels (<i>N</i> = 389) of infant carrying (six times a week or daily) and parents reporting low levels (<i>N</i> = 128) of infant carrying (less than once a week or not at all) who participated in an online survey about the developing parent-infant relationship in Germany were included in the present study. Standardized questionnaires were used to assess parental reflective functioning, parental bonding impairments, and emotional responses to infant crying. Further insensitive (non-responsive and hostile) behaviors in response to infant crying were assessed. Parents with high levels of infant carrying showed better parental reflective functioning, lower parental bonding problems, less negative emotions, and less insensitive behaviors in response to infant crying.</p>","PeriodicalId":48026,"journal":{"name":"Infant Mental Health Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/imhj.22106","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139576935","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Fatima Zahra Kadik, Elleanor Eng, Kristen Pappas, Shirley Berger
{"title":"Improved classroom and child outcomes through mental health consultation in New York City subsidized early care and education programs.","authors":"Fatima Zahra Kadik, Elleanor Eng, Kristen Pappas, Shirley Berger","doi":"10.1002/imhj.22026","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/imhj.22026","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This paper describes the evaluation of one year of infant/early childhood mental health consultation (IECMHC) in subsidized early care and education settings provided by the New York City Early Childhood Mental Health Network. The evaluation examined direct and indirect outcomes of IECMHC including (1) improved classroom practices by ECE teachers, and (2) improved social, emotional, and behavioral outcomes among children in the classroom. The study also reviewed child attributes that might have moderated outcomes. An analysis using paired t-tests of pre-and post-assessment data found significant improvements over time in the classroom environment and management practices, as well as in teachers' perceptions of the degree of difficulty presented by children's classroom behaviors. There were significant improvements in protective factors and problem behaviors among the subset of 138 children who received assessments. Improvements were greater for Black/African American children and for all children with pre-assessment scores in the concern range. Males showed greater improvement in protective factors whereas females showed greater improvement in behavioral concerns. IECMHC is a powerful intervention to improve teachers' classroom management and their perceptions of children's behavior and is important in the context of biases that place marginalized groups at risk of punitive actions by teachers and administrators.</p>","PeriodicalId":48026,"journal":{"name":"Infant Mental Health Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-01-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139564955","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Heidi Fjeldheim, Anne Werner, Teija Anke, Vibeke Moe, Helen Suizu Norheim, Marianne Aalberg
{"title":"Parenting the parent without losing sight of the child. A qualitative study of therapists’ experiences with intergenerational adversities in perinatal psychotherapy","authors":"Heidi Fjeldheim, Anne Werner, Teija Anke, Vibeke Moe, Helen Suizu Norheim, Marianne Aalberg","doi":"10.1002/imhj.22100","DOIUrl":"10.1002/imhj.22100","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The complex work of addressing intergenerational adversities, like violence, abuse, and neglect through perinatal psychotherapy, is understudied. Especially noticeable is the paucity of studies giving voice to the therapists. This study explored therapeutic processes through the perspectives of seven Norwegian therapists. A qualitative approach was chosen with individual interviews and a follow-up focus group. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. We identified one overarching theme: To maintain a reflective therapeutic capacity, and two main themes with associated subthemes: 1) Alliance work when a caring system comes to therapy to fight generations of adversities and 2) The complex therapeutic work of addressing generational adversities in perinatal psychotherapy. Findings from the present study indicate that maintaining a reflective stance is essential yet challenging when addressing intergenerational adversities, requiring a holding environment for the therapists. The primary vehicle of change was perceived as a safe enough therapeutic alliance to explore new ways of being together, contrasting earlier experiences. A key question raised was how to give caregivers enough time to trust the therapist without compromising the safety and development of the child. The essence of the therapeutic work was to reduce risk factors and increase protective factors through multiple ports of entry.</p>","PeriodicalId":48026,"journal":{"name":"Infant Mental Health Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-01-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/imhj.22100","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139564998","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mirte L. Forrer, Mirjam Oosterman, Anne Tharner, Carlo Schuengel
{"title":"Testing reliability and validity of practitioner-rated parental sensitivity: A novel tool for practice","authors":"Mirte L. Forrer, Mirjam Oosterman, Anne Tharner, Carlo Schuengel","doi":"10.1002/imhj.22102","DOIUrl":"10.1002/imhj.22102","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Improving parental sensitivity is an important objective of interventions to support families. This study examined reliability and validity of parental sensitivity ratings using a novel package of an e-learning tool and an interactive decision tree provided through a mobile application, called the OK! package. Independent raters assessed parental sensitivity using the OK! package (<i>N</i> = 11 raters) and the NICHD Parental Sensitivity rating scales (<i>N</i> = 22 raters) on the basis of videotaped mother-child interactions at 10- or 12-months-old (<i>N</i> = 294) and at 24-months-old (<i>N</i> = 204) from the Dutch longitudinal cohort study Generation<sup>2</sup>. Mothers reported on children's externalizing and internalizing problems and social competence when children were 4 and 7 years old. Results showed excellent single interrater reliability for raters using the OK! package (mean ICC = .79), and strong evidence for convergent validity at 10- or 12-month-old (<i>r</i> = .57) and 24-month-old (<i>r</i> = .65). Prospective associations of neither parental sensitivity rated using the OK! package or the NICHD Parental Sensitivity rating scales with child developmental outcomes were statistically significant (<i>p</i> > .05), with overlapping 95% confidence intervals for both measures. The OK! package provides a promising direction for testing alternatives to current training and instruction modalities.</p>","PeriodicalId":48026,"journal":{"name":"Infant Mental Health Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/imhj.22102","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139547319","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Rebecca Newland, Rebecca B. Silver, Rachel Herman, Karyn Hartz, Alice Coyne, Ronald Seifer
{"title":"Child-focused infant and early childhood mental health consultation: Shifting adult attributions to reduce the risk for preschool expulsion","authors":"Rebecca Newland, Rebecca B. Silver, Rachel Herman, Karyn Hartz, Alice Coyne, Ronald Seifer","doi":"10.1002/imhj.22104","DOIUrl":"10.1002/imhj.22104","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Infant and early childhood mental health consultation (IECMHC) in early care and education (ECE) settings is a promising approach to support young children. Although research on the effects of IECMHC is encouraging, it is limited by the complexities of the systems in which IECMHC is implemented and the variability in IECMHC models. The current study aims to clearly articulate a statewide, child-focused, short-term IECMHC model, assess consultee satisfaction, examine the effects of consultation on children's functioning in the school and home settings, and evaluate changes in teacher perceptions associated with expulsion risk following consultation. In total, 268 children ages 1–5 (69% White, 75% male) and their family and school caregivers participated in consultation in a New England state, and 95 children and caregivers were included in an evaluation subsample. Of this subsample, teachers and ECE administrators, but not families, indicated significant improvement in children's functioning from referral to end of consultation. There was also a significant decrease in children's risk of expulsion, as measured by teachers’ perceptions associated with expulsion decisions. This study contributes to the IECMHC literature by providing results specific to a child-focused model of consultation and highlighting the possible role of adult attributions for children in ECE.</p>","PeriodicalId":48026,"journal":{"name":"Infant Mental Health Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139547339","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"How do maternal and child health nurses incorporate infant mental health promotion into their clinical practice? Experiences of an Australian municipality","authors":"Helen Stevens, Leanne Sheeran, Anne Buist","doi":"10.1002/imhj.22103","DOIUrl":"10.1002/imhj.22103","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The field of infant mental health (IMH) has offered valuable insights into the critical importance of social–emotional development, including the enduring influence of early experiences throughout life. Maternal and Child Health (MCH) nurses are ideally placed to facilitate knowledge sharing with parents. This Australian-based qualitative exploratory descriptive study explored how MCH nurses incorporate IMH in their clinical practice, and how they share this information with caregivers. Ten community-based MCH nurses participated in voluntary, semi-structured interviews which were transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically. Findings identified five themes that characterized how MCH nurses incorporated IMH concepts into their practice. These themes were: prioritizing physical health promotion activities, highlighting infant communications, variations in knowledge and application of IMH concepts, workplace time schedules, and the relational nature of the work. Recommendations include encouraging IMH as a health promotion activity, facilitating IMH assessment, further education, reflective supervision, and extension of predetermined appointment times to enable knowledge and skill sharing. Further research is also recommended to provide additional insights into how nurses with IMH training promote and share IMH concepts with caregivers. Adoption of these recommendations would further enhance the care given to families and the role of the MCH nurses.</p>","PeriodicalId":48026,"journal":{"name":"Infant Mental Health Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139521729","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Alysse M. Loomis, Rose X. McLaughlin, McCall Lyon, Jennifer Mitchell
{"title":"Infant and early childhood teleconsultation and training: Program description and feasibility outcomes from a statewide implementation","authors":"Alysse M. Loomis, Rose X. McLaughlin, McCall Lyon, Jennifer Mitchell","doi":"10.1002/imhj.22101","DOIUrl":"10.1002/imhj.22101","url":null,"abstract":"<p>To address high rates of mental health and developmental concerns facing young children ages 0–6 in the United States and internationally, providers across professional sectors need Infant and early childhood mental health (IECMH) training and support. The training and teleconsultation program (TTP) is a state-funded program developed in one Mountain West state in the United States to provide free IECMH training and teleconsultation to any provider working with young children. The TTP included access to webinars and individual or group consultation with licensed mental health providers. Webinars focused on increasing awareness and knowledge related to attachment and child development, supporting parents and caregivers, trauma-informed practice, supporting emotional health of staff and providers, and culturally responsive practices with infants, young children, and caregivers. Teleconsultation included case consultation, reflective individual and group supervision, and collaboration supports/referrals. During the 18-month evaluation period, 1568 unique providers engaged in either training or teleconsultation services, an average of 9% growth in new providers each month, with representation from all professional sectors and all state counties. This program demonstrates the feasibility and need for statewide training and teleconsultation programs to help meet the needs of providers who interact with and support young children and caregivers.</p>","PeriodicalId":48026,"journal":{"name":"Infant Mental Health Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-01-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139479496","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nicole Racine, Pauline Wu, Rachel Pagaling, Hannah O'Reilly, Ganaëlle Brunet, Catherine S. Birken, Diane L. Lorenzetti, Sheri Madigan
{"title":"Maternal postnatal depressive symptoms and early achievement of developmental milestones in infants and young children: A meta-analysis","authors":"Nicole Racine, Pauline Wu, Rachel Pagaling, Hannah O'Reilly, Ganaëlle Brunet, Catherine S. Birken, Diane L. Lorenzetti, Sheri Madigan","doi":"10.1002/imhj.22097","DOIUrl":"10.1002/imhj.22097","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Screening for social determinants of health, including maternal depression, is a recommended pediatric practice. However, the magnitude of association between maternal and child screening tools remains to be determined. The current study evaluated the association between maternal postnatal depressive symptoms and child developmental milestones, as well as moderators of these associations. A comprehensive search strategy was carried out in four databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, APA PsycINFO, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials) from database inception to September 2022. Studies that examine postnatal depressive symptoms and associations with infant and early child (<6 years) achievement of developmental milestones were included. Data were extracted by two independent coders and a random-effects meta-analysis was used to estimate pooled effect sizes and test for moderators. A total of 38 non-overlapping studies (95,897 participants), all focused on maternal postnatal depression, met inclusion criteria. The pooled effect size for the association between postnatal depressive symptoms and early achievement of infant and child developmental milestones (<i>N</i> = 38; <i>r</i> = −.12; 95% CI = −.18, −.06) was small in magnitude. Child age at maternal depression measurement was a moderator, whereby effect sizes became greater for older children. Despite small effects, maternal postnatal depressive symptoms should be included in screening during routine well-child visits to enhance child development outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":48026,"journal":{"name":"Infant Mental Health Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-01-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139425761","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Emma Becker, Leslie Atkinson, Andrea Gonzalez, Jennifer Khoury
{"title":"Social support buffers the impact of pregnancy stress on perceptions of parent–infant closeness during the COVID-19 pandemic","authors":"Emma Becker, Leslie Atkinson, Andrea Gonzalez, Jennifer Khoury","doi":"10.1002/imhj.22096","DOIUrl":"10.1002/imhj.22096","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Pregnant individuals and parents have experienced elevated mental health problems and stress during COVID-19. Stress during pregnancy can be harmful to the fetus and detrimental to the parent–child relationship. However, social support is known to act as a protective factor, buffering against the adverse effects of stress. The present study examined whether (1) prenatal stress during COVID-19 was associated with parent–infant closeness at 6 months postpartum, and (2) social support moderated the effect of prenatal stress on the parent–infant relationship. In total, 181 participants completed questionnaires during pregnancy and at 6 months postpartum. A hierarchical linear regression analysis was conducted to assess whether social support moderated the effect of stress during pregnancy on parent–infant closeness at 6 months postpartum. Results indicated a significant interaction between prenatal stress and social support on parents’ perceptions of closeness with their infants at 6 months postpartum (<i>β</i> = .805, <i>p</i> = .029); parents who experienced high prenatal stress with high social support reported greater parent–infant closeness, compared to those who reported high levels of stress and low social support. Findings underscore the importance of social support in protecting the parent–infant relationship, particularly in times of high stress, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic.</p>","PeriodicalId":48026,"journal":{"name":"Infant Mental Health Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/imhj.22096","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139404743","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}