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Associations between maternal smartphone use and mother‐infant responsiveness: A cluster analysis of potential risk and protective factors Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2024-03-13 Lisa Golds, Karri Gillespie‐Smith, Angus MacBeth
Contradictory results in the extant literature suggests that additional risk factors should be considered when exploring the impacts of maternal smartphone use on mother‐infant relationships. This study used cluster analysis to explore whether certain risk factors were implicated in mother‐infant dyads with high smartphone use and low mother‐infant responsiveness. A cross‐sectional survey of 450 participants
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Development of a tool for infant facial emotion recognition (InFER) for postpartum mothers with mental illnesses Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2024-03-13 Makarand V. Pantoji, Sundarnag Ganjekar, Urvakhsh Meherwan Mehta, Prabha S. Chandra, Harish Thippeswamy
Understanding deficits in recognition of infant emotions in mothers with mental illnesses is limited by the lack of validated instruments. We present the development and content validation of the infant facial emotion recognition tool (InFER) in India to examine the ability of mothers to detect the infants' emotions. A total of 164 images of infant faces in various emotional states were gathered from
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Offline and online parental mentalizing in mothers with symptoms of postpartum depression: Examining the association between self‐reported parental reflective functioning and interactional mind‐mindedness Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2024-03-06 Katrine I. Wendelboe, Anne C. Stuart, Johanne Smith‐Nielsen, Thea B. Linkhorst, Mette Skovgaard Væver
Mentalizing is, to a certain extent, considered context specific. However, research on the association between parents’ abilities to reflect upon their infant's mental states outside social interaction (offline) versus during ongoing parent‐infant interaction (online) is currently limited. This study investigated the association between self‐reported offline and online mentalizing in a sample of primarily
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Babies, two bonds: Frequency and correlates of differential maternal‐infant bonding in mothers of twins Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2024-02-26 Susan J. Wenze, Cynthia M. Mikula, Cynthia L. Battle
We assessed prevalence and correlates of differential maternal‐infant bonding (i.e., experiencing a stronger bond with one baby vs. the other) in mothers of twins, focusing on aspects of maternal mental health, well‐being, and pregnancy/birth that have been previously linked with maternal‐infant bonding. Participants (N = 108 American women, 88.89% White, 82.41% non‐Hispanic, aged 18–45, who gave birth
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Prepartum and postpartum mothers’ and fathers’ feelings of frustration in response to infant crying Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2024-02-11 Meriah Drabkin, Nichole Fairbrother, Brianna Crighton, Erica Miller, Rollin Brant, Shivraj Riar, Arianne Albert, Ronald G. Barr
In this cross-sectional study performed in Canada, we evaluated the frustration levels of prepartum and postpartum mother and father couple-pairs. Our goal was to determine if there were differences in frustration levels between mothers and fathers while listening to prolonged infant crying, and further, how frustration levels might differ between prepartum and postpartum samples. Using two discrete
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Household chaos and parenting: The effect of household chaos does not depend on sensory-processing sensitivity and self-regulation Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2024-02-08 Suzanne M. Andeweg, F. Fenne Bodrij, Mariëlle J. L. Prevoo, Ralph C. A. Rippe, Lenneke R. A. Alink
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
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Infant carrying: Associations with parental reflective functioning, parental bonding and parental responses to infant crying Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2024-01-30 Christine Firk, Nicola Großheinrich
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
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Improved classroom and child outcomes through mental health consultation in New York City subsidized early care and education programs Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2024-01-25 Fatima Zahra Kadik, Elleanor Eng, Kristen Pappas, Shirley Berger
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
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Child-focused infant and early childhood mental health consultation: Shifting adult attributions to reduce the risk for preschool expulsion Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2024-01-24 Rebecca Newland, Rebecca B. Silver, Rachel Herman, Karyn Hartz, Alice Coyne, Ronald Seifer
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
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Parenting the parent without losing sight of the child. A qualitative study of therapists’ experiences with intergenerational adversities in perinatal psychotherapy Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2024-01-25 Heidi Fjeldheim, Anne Werner, Teija Anke, Vibeke Moe, Helen Suizu Norheim, Marianne Aalberg
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
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Testing reliability and validity of practitioner-rated parental sensitivity: A novel tool for practice Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2024-01-24 Mirte L. Forrer, Mirjam Oosterman, Anne Tharner, Carlo Schuengel
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 (N = 11 raters) and
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How do maternal and child health nurses incorporate infant mental health promotion into their clinical practice? Experiences of an Australian municipality Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2024-01-22 Helen Stevens, Leanne Sheeran, Anne Buist
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
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Infant and early childhood teleconsultation and training: Program description and feasibility outcomes from a statewide implementation Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2024-01-17 Alysse M. Loomis, Rose X. McLaughlin, McCall Lyon, Jennifer Mitchell
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
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Maternal postnatal depressive symptoms and early achievement of developmental milestones in infants and young children: A meta-analysis Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2024-01-11 Nicole Racine, Pauline Wu, Rachel Pagaling, Hannah O'Reilly, Ganaëlle Brunet, Catherine S. Birken, Diane L. Lorenzetti, Sheri Madigan
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
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Social support buffers the impact of pregnancy stress on perceptions of parent–infant closeness during the COVID-19 pandemic Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2024-01-09 Emma Becker, Leslie Atkinson, Andrea Gonzalez, Jennifer Khoury
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
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Is lower fetal heart rate variability a susceptibility marker to the impact of negative coparenting on infant regulatory capacity? Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2024-01-08 Tiago Miguel Pinto, Bárbara Figueiredo
Lower fetal heart rate variability (FHRV) may be a prenatal endophenotypic susceptibility marker and increase the impact of both positive and negative coparenting on infant regulatory capacity. This study analyzed the moderator role of FHRV in the association between positive and negative coparenting and infant regulatory capacity at 3 months. The sample comprised 86 first-born infants and their mothers
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From co-regulation to self-regulation: Maternal soothing strategies and self-efficacy in relation to maternal reports of infant regulation at 3 and 7 months Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2024-01-04 Natalie Kiel, Gizem Samdan, Annika S. Wienke, Tilman Reinelt, Sabina Pauen, Birgit Mathes, Charlotte Herzmann
This study, conducted in Germany, examines the role of maternal soothing strategies to explain the association of maternal self-efficacy with infant regulation (crying and sleeping behavior). Questionnaire data of 150 mothers, living in Germany, with mixed ethnic and educational backgrounds were collected when infants were 3 and 7 months old. Two types of maternal soothing strategies were distinguished:
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Infant massage as a stress management technique for parents of hospitalized extremely preterm infants Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2023-12-23 Dana McCarty, Rachel Silver, Lauren Quinn, Stacey Dusing, Thomas Michael O'Shea
Mothers of infants born extremely preterm requiring prolonged medical intervention in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) are at high risk of developing stress. Parent-administered infant massage is a well-established, safe intervention for preterm infants with many developmental benefits, but the published literature has mostly examined its impact on infants and parents through self-reported or
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Predicting attachment in Portuguese infants born very or extremely preterm: Understanding the roles of infant regulatory behavior, maternal sensitivity, and risk factors Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2023-12-13 Sandra Antunes, Maria João Alves, Inês Martelo, Marjorie Beeghly, Luísa Barros, Marina Fuertes
A growing body of research shows that early attachment relationships are foundational for children's later developmental and psychosocial outcomes. However, findings are mixed regarding whether preterm birth predicts later attachment, but insecurity is generally more prevalent among infants at higher medical and/or social/familial risk. This longitudinal study aimed to identify specific relational
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Movement through motherhood: Exploring mood, wellbeing, and prenatal emotional availability (EA) through EA-based dance intervention Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2023-12-11 Katelyn Branson Dame, Madeline Jazz Harvey, Stephen Aichele, Ann Kralewski Van Denburg, Lillian Hoyer, Steffany Joslin, Alexandria McKenna, Michael Lincoln, Lia Closson, Marjo Flykt, Saara Salo, Ashley Harvey, Zeynep Biringen
Emotional availability (EA) is a construct that describes the observed emotional connection in parent-child relationships. During pregnancy, EA is assessed only using caregiver sensitivity and nonhostility. We used the nonverbal aspects of these qualities to create a new dance/movement intervention (“EA-Based Dance Intervention”). Given the scarcity of pregnancy interventions, we provided training
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Psychometrics of psychosocial behavior items under age 6 years: Evidence from Nebraska, USA Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2023-12-05 Marcus R. Waldman, Abbie Raikes, Katelyn Hepworth, Maureen M. Black, Vanessa Cavallera, Tarun Dua, Magdalena Janus, Susanne P. Martin-Herz, Dana C. McCoy, Ann M. Weber
Because healthy psychosocial development in the first years of life is critical to lifelong well-being, governmental, and nongovernmental organizations are increasingly interested in monitoring psychosocial behaviors among populations of children. In response, the World Health Organization is developing the Global Scales of Early Development Psychosocial Form (GSED PF) to facilitate population-level
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Do toys get in the way? The duration of shared emotional experiences is longer when mothers engage their infants without toys Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2023-12-04 Sheila R. Sjolseth, Cynthia A. Frosch, Margaret Tresch Owen, Samantha L. Redig
During mother-infant interaction, shared emotional experiences, defined as reciprocal and synchronous emotional sharing between mother and infant, are an indicator of early relational health. Yet, it is unclear how mothers’ efforts to engage with their infants relate to dyadic-level shared emotional experiences. Utilizing a sample of 80 randomly selected videos of the NICHD Study of Early Child Care
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Reflective supervision and reflective practice in infant mental health: A scoping review of a diverse body of literature Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2023-12-01 Mary Tobin, Síle Carney, Elaine Rogers
Reflective practice is a core component of Infant Mental Health (IMH) training and work in the form of reflective supervision/consultation (RS/C). RS/C supports and facilitates relationship-based practice, and is considered to help prevent burnout and promote work satisfaction. In response to an identified gap in empirical research on RS/C, this scoping review aimed to give an overview of the broad
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What is typical: Atypical in young children's attention regulation?: Characterizing the developmental spectrum with the Multidimensional Assessment Profiles—Attention Regulation Infant-Toddler (MAPS-AR-IT) Scale Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2023-11-02 Amanda N. Nili, Meghan Miller, Yudong Zhang, Philip R. Sherlock, James L. Burns, Anne Zola, Aaron Kaat, Lauren S. Wakschlag, Sheila Krogh-Jespersen
While attention dysregulation is a promising early indicator of neurodevelopmental risk, in particular attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), it is difficult to characterize clinical concern due to its developmental expectability at the transition to toddlerhood. Thus, explicating the typical:atypical continuum of risk indicators is among the key future directions for research to promote
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Cultural relevance of fine motor domain of the ASQ in Guatemala Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2023-10-29 Abigail S. Angulo, Maureen Cunningham, Gretchen Domek, Sandra Friedman, Ayelet Talmi
Previous research suggests that the Ages and Stages Questionnaire—3rd ed. (ASQ) fine motor domain (FMD) may not be culturally relevant for developmental screening in a rural Guatemalan community, as the FMD accounts for 40% of all abnormal screenings after a needs assessment in this community. We hypothesize this is due to a lack of exposure to objects assessed in the questionnaire, such as blocks
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Looking back to light the path forward: Ghosts in the Nursery revisited Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2023-10-23 Arietta Slade
The infant health movement was launched nearly 50 years ago with the publication of the now classic paper, Ghosts in the Nursery: A psychoanalytic approach to the problems of impaired infant-mother relationships, written by Selma Fraiberg, Edna Adelson, and Vivian Shapiro (1975). This paper offers us lessons for infant mental health practice that have been proven true time and again over the last 50
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Preterm infant mental health in the neonatal intensive care unit: A review of research on NICU parent-infant interactions and maternal sensitivity Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2023-10-10 Georgina Hartzell, Richard J. Shaw, Soudabeh Givrad
Caregiving relationships in the postnatal period are critical to an infant's development. Preterm infants and their parents face unique challenges in this regard, with infants experiencing separation from parents, uncomfortable procedures, and increased biologic vulnerability, and parents facing difficulties assuming caregiver roles and increased risk for psychological distress. To better understand
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Childhood maltreatment history and trauma-specific predictors of parenting stress in new fathers Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2023-09-02 Josephine R. Granner, Shawna J. Lee, Jade Burns, Todd I. Herrenkohl, Allison L. Miller, Julia S. Seng
For new fathers, parenting stress is a risk factor for impaired early parenting and child maltreatment perpetration. Predictors of parenting stress, including fathers’ own experiences of trauma, could be useful intervention targets to support new fathers. We aim to examine associations between new fathers’ own histories of child maltreatment, and their perinatal mental health, relationships, and parenting
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Framing the work: A coparenting model for guiding infant mental health engagement with families Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2023-08-22 James McHale, Herve Tissot, Silvia Mazzoni, Monica Hedenbro, Selin Salman-Engin, Diane A. Philipp, Joëlle Darwiche, Miri Keren, Russia Collins, Erica Coates, Martina Mensi, Antoinette Corboz-Warnery, Elisabeth Fivaz-Depeursinge
When working with families of infants and toddlers, intentionally looking beyond dyadic child-parent relationship functioning to conceptualize the child's socioemotional adaptation within their broader family collective can enhance the likelihood that clinical gains will be supported and sustained. However, there has been little expert guidance regarding how best to frame infant-family mental health
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Parental sensitivity, family alliance and infants’ vagal tone: Influences of early family interactions on physiological emotion regulation Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2023-08-22 Valentine Rattaz, Hervé Tissot, Nilo Puglisi, Chantal Razurel, Manuella Epiney, Nicolas Favez
In this study, we investigated the influence of parental sensitivity and family alliance on infants’ vagal tone, considered as a physiological indicator of emotion regulation. Studies on mother–infant interactions have shown that vagal tone can be influenced by the quality of the interaction, such as interacting with a sensitive mother. To date, no study has investigated the influence of paternal sensitivity
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Risk factors associated with higher scores in internalizing and externalizing behaviors in Chilean preschoolers Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2023-08-22 Paula Bedregal, Victoria Lermanda, Rodrigo Sierra, Paola Viviani
Early detection of behavioral disorders in children is necessary for intervention. Available data show a high prevalence of child and adolescent psychiatric disorders in Chile (22.5%), but behavioral problems in younger children have not been evaluated. This work assesses behavioral disorders in preschoolers and their association with sociodemographic variables of the family and the child. The data
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Enhancing early parenting in the community: Preliminary results from a learning collaborative approach to scale up Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2023-08-08 Karen Appleyard Carmody, Kathryn J. Murray, Breanna Williams, Allison Frost, Cheri Coleman, Kelly Sullivan
Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up (ABC) is a promising home-visiting intervention promoting sensitive caregiving and secure parent–child attachment in families with young children. The goal of this study was to examine a learning collaborative approach to disseminating ABC in a community setting. Training outcomes (e.g., trainee completion, satisfaction, effectiveness of training methods) and intervention
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Art at the Start: A controlled trial and close observation of parent-infant art therapy intervention Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2023-08-08 Victoria Gray Armstrong, Josephine Ross
This two-part study seeks to evidence art therapy intervention for parent-infant attachment relationships, looking at improvements to wellbeing and relationships. Study one was a controlled trial with 105 participating parent/caregivers and their infants (0–3-years), identified due to concerns about their relationship. They were quasi-randomized to attend a 12-week art therapy group or treatment as
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Reflective supervision and consultation and its impact within early childhood-serving programs: A systematic review Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2023-08-03 Lindsay Huffhines, Rachel Herman, Rebecca B. Silver, Christine M. Low, Rebecca Newland, Stephanie H. Parade
Reflective supervision and consultation (RS/C) is regarded as best practice within the infant/early childhood mental health field. Benefits of RS/C on the early childhood workforce and children and families have been demonstrated through case studies, conceptual pieces, and individual research studies. However, findings across studies have not been summarized using gold-standard methodology, thus the
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Relationship focused mother–infant groups: Preliminary evaluation of improvements in maternal mental health, parenting confidence, and parental reflective functioning Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2023-08-01 Sharon Cooke, Dawson Campbell Cooke, Yvonne Hauck
We report on two preliminary evaluations of a group intervention, targeting vulnerable infants and their mothers within the first 6-months postpartum. The Mother–Baby Nurture® program aims to strengthen the developing infant–mother attachment relationship by increasing maternal mentalizing. These studies were undertaken with pre-post evaluations with the mothers of infants under 10-months of age. The
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Current approaches and future directions for addressing ethics in infant and early childhood mental health Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2023-07-22 Paula D. Zeanah, Alison Steier, Izaak Lim, Jon Korfmacher, Charles H. Zeanah
In this paper, we consider whether the field of infant and early childhood mental health (IECMH) needs its own code of ethics. We begin by describing unique features of infant and early childhood mental health (IECMH) and the diverse strategies that the field has developed to address complex clinical dilemmas, among them workforce development, clinical supports, policy statements, and statements of
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Mental health and sleep quality of low-income mothers of one-year-olds during the COVID-19 pandemic Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2023-07-13 Elizabeth M. Premo, Katherine A. Magnuson, Nicole E. Lorenzo, Nathan A. Fox, Kimberly G. Noble
The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent social restrictions created an unprecedented context for families raising young children. Although studies have documented detrimental effects of the pandemic on maternal well-being, less is known about how the pandemic specifically impacted low-income mothers. We examined depression, anxiety, and sleep quality among low-income mothers of one-year-olds during the
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Patient navigation models for mental health of parents expecting or caring for an infant or young child: A systematic review Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2023-07-09 Sophia A. Harris, Michelle Harrison, Karen Hazell-Raine, Catherine Wade, Valsamma Eapen, Jane Kohlhoff
Patient navigation (PN) aims to improve timely access to healthcare by helping patients to “navigate” complex service provision landscapes. PN models have been applied in diverse healthcare settings including perinatal mental health (PMH). However, the practice models and implementation of PN programs vary widely, and their impact on engagement with PMH services has not been systematically investigated
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Introduction to special section doing the “right” thing: Ethical issues in infant and early childhood mental health Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2023-06-28 Paula D. Zeanah, Jon Korfmacher, Izaak Lim, Alison Steier, Charles H. Zeanah
Introducción a la Sección Especial: Hacer lo ‘correcto:’ Asuntos éticos en la salud mental infantil y en la temprana niñez
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Observing and interpreting clinical process: Methods and findings from ‘Layered analysis’ of parent–infant psychotherapy Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2023-06-21 Tessa Baradon, Evrinomy Avdi, Michelle Sleed, Björn Salomonsson, Keren Amiran
This paper describes a method for investigating clinical process, Layered Analysis, which combines therapist countertransference reports and multi-faceted microanalytic research approaches. Findings from the application of Layered Analysis to video-recorded micro-events of rupture and repair in four psychoanalytic parent–infant psychotherapy sessions are presented. Layered analysis showed that countertransference
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Using the candidacy framework to conceptualize systems and gaps when developing infant mental health (IMH) services: A qualitative study Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2023-06-20 Fifi T. H. Phang, Alicia Weaver, David N. Blane, Fionnghuala Murphy, Andrew Dawson, Sophie Hall, Anna De Natale, Helen Minnis, Anne McFadyen
The development of infant mental health (IMH) services globally is still in its early stages. This qualitative study aims to understand the challenges of setting up IMH services and explores the views and experiences of 14 multi-disciplinary stakeholders who are part of the IMH implementation group in a large Scottish health board. Six major themes were identified through thematic analysis. This paper
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An intensive longitudinal investigation of maternal and infant touching patterns across context and throughout the first 9-months of life Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2023-06-19 Marisa Mercuri, Dale M. Stack, Kalee De France, Amélie D. L. Jean, Alan Fogel
Touch is a central component of mothers’ and infants’ everyday interactions and the formation of a healthy mother-infant relationship. Twelve mothers and their full-term infants from the Midwest, USA participated in the present study, which examined the quality and quantity of their touching behaviors longitudinally at 1-, 3-, 5-, 7-, and 9-months postpartum and within two normative interaction contexts
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Reflective functioning and mother–infant relationships among mothers with Borderline Personality Disorder post-therapy Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2023-06-15 Jo Osborne, Julie Mattiske, Amelia Winter, Anne Sved Williams
The stressful nature of parenting infants exacerbates the characteristics of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Consequently, mothers with BPD tend to be emotionally dysregulated, respond impulsively to their infants, and have poorer mother–infant relationships. Few parenting interventions target the specific skill deficits observed in mothers with BPD. This study explored the differences in parental
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Facilitating caregiver-child interactions in home visiting: A qualitative observational study Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2023-05-31 Luke Timothy Huber, Faith Molthen, Gina Cook, Kere Hughes-Belding
Facilitating parent-child interactions is a key component of evidence-based early childhood home visiting programs. Several observational measures have been created to effectively capture home visiting activities from an operationalized perspective. While the field has a reasonable understanding of what home visitors can do to facilitate developmentally supportive interactions, and why, the how remains
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Ethical dilemmas in infant mental health: Examples from child protection, home visiting, and medical contexts Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2023-05-29 Charles H. Zeanah, Jon Korfmacher, Issak Lim, Alison Steier, Paula D. Zeanah
Infant mental health is explicitly relational and strengths based as a field. Ethical dilemmas in infant mental health have received insufficient attention at the level of infant mental health professionals (IMHP) and other professionals caring for infants who must grapple with questions of when caregivers and infants have conflicting interests. We present composite cases drawn from North American
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Differences in infant negative affectivity during the COVID-19 pandemic Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2023-05-23 Alyssa R. Morris, Darby E. Saxbe
This longitudinal study compared infant temperament rated at 3 months postpartum by 263 United-States-based women who gave birth during the COVID-19 pandemic and 72 who gave birth prior to the pandemic. All women completed questionnaires assessing perinatal mental health, social contact, and infant temperament. Mothers whose infants were born during the pandemic reported higher levels of infant negative
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Will I love my second baby as much as my first? Prevalence and psychosocial correlates of maternal-fetal relationship anxiety for second-time mothers Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2023-05-06 Brenda L. Volling, Lin Tan, Lauren Rosenberg, Lauren R. Bader
Most mothers have more than one child. Second-time mothers may worry about whether they will love the second baby as much as their first child. The current study examined mothers’ maternal-fetal relationship anxiety (MFRA) to their second baby, the prediction of mother-infant bonding (MIB) and infant-mother attachment security post-partum, and the psychosocial correlates of mothers’ MFRA during pregnancy
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A qualitative exploration of caregivers’ experiences with the Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up (ABC) parenting program Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2023-05-01 Meredith E. Bagwell-Gray, Whitney Grube, Amy Mendenhall, Sarah Jen, Omowunmi Olaleye, Patricia Sattler
In the face of childhood adversity, services and interventions can improve a child's life trajectory by promoting healthy development, enhancing protective factors, and building resilience through stable and supportive relationships. One such service, a specific and highly researched home visiting intervention, Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up (ABC), is often provided to families through home
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‘Nobody taught her how to be a mother’: The lived experience of mothering without a mother Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2023-04-27 Amy Walsh, Bridget Tiernan, Brent Thompson, David McCormack, Pauline Adair
Maternal grandmothers play a vital role in the transition to motherhood for their own daughters. The current study adds to this literature by investigating the lived experience of motherhood for women who lacked a meaningful relationship with their mothers. Ten mothers of children under 2 years of age participated in a semi-structured interview to explore their lived experiences of being a mother.
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Promoting reflective practice in an infant and early childhood training program Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2023-04-19 Caitlin Lombardi, Anne Bladen, Mary Tabb Foley, Meg Galante-DeAngelis, Kim Larrabee, JoAnn Robinson
Reflective practices provide a supportive base through which preservice infant and early childhood teachers and allied professionals can achieve knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions to support young children and their families. This paper is a program description that describes the rationale for infusing reflective practices into the learning goals for preservice early childhood training
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Reflections on the Infant Mental Health Endorsement® process in Virginia Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2023-04-16 Kasey Dye, Christine Spence, Jackie Robinson Brock
This study was conducted to gather information to inform key stakeholders in Virginia's Early Childhood Mental Health workforce who are involved in the Infant Mental Health Endorsement®. An “Endorsement® indicates an individual's efforts to specialize in the promotion and practice of infant or early childhood mental health within his/her own chosen discipline” (Virginia Association for Infant Mental
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The ethics of infant and early childhood mental health practice Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2023-03-31 Izaak Lim, Jon Korfmacher, Alison Steier, Charles Zeanah, Paula D. Zeanah
Ethics is concerned with the basis for moral judgments of “right” and “wrong” and is central to the clinical endeavor. Many clinicians integrate ethical estimations into their work without much conscious awareness. However, explicit use of ethical principles and frameworks can help navigate clinical decision-making when there is a sense of moral conflict or ambiguity about the “right” course of action
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Clinical use and implementation of the diagnostic classification of mental health and developmental disorders of infancy and early childhood Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2023-03-23 Marian E. Williams, Ashley M. Rediker, Kathleen Mulrooney
The Diagnostic Classification of Mental Health and Developmental Disorders of Infancy and Early Childhood (DC: 0–5) was developed to provide a framework for diagnosis of infants and young children, and a training curriculum supports implementation of the manual in clinical practice. This study surveyed 100 mental health clinicians (93% female and 53% Latinx/Hispanic) who had completed training in the
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The protective effects of social support and family functioning on parenting stress among Hispanic/Latino/a American immigrant parents with traumatic life experiences: A mediation analysis Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2023-03-20 Mihoko Maru, Ruth Paris, Meital Simhi
Despite high rates of traumatic experiences reported among Hispanic/Latino/a immigrants in the U.S., the effect of post-traumatic stress on parenting stress among Hispanic/Latino/a immigrant parents with young children has been overlooked. The present study tested the direct and indirect relationships of self-reported maternal post-traumatic stress symptoms on parenting stress, and the mediating role
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Bringing a mentalizing framework to understanding mothers with addiction: The groundbreaking work of Nancy E. Suchman Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2023-03-20 Arietta Slade
Nancy Suchman is remembered as a pioneer whose mentalization-based intervention—Mothering from the Inside Out (MIO)—transformed the treatment of parents struggling with substance use disorders. Specifically, Suchman's work highlighted the neural mechanisms underlying substance use disorders and identified the promotion of parental mentalizing as a key therapeutic focus in enhancing early parent-child
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Reframing caring for parents who struggle with substance-use disorders Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2023-03-14 Linda C. Mayes
Nancy Suchman and the colleagues she influenced have produced ground-breaking and attitude-challenging work in understanding how parenting and substance use come together. Dr Suchman and her colleagues make the claim that there is nothing about a substance-use disorder that precludes effective and sensitive caring for children especially with interventions that focus on the parent–child relationship
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What works for whom? Mother's psychological distress as a moderator of the effectiveness of a home visiting intervention Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2023-03-14 Monica L. Oxford, Jonika B. Hash, Mary Jane Lohr, Charles B. Fleming, Carrie Dow-Smith, Susan J. Spieker
Attachment-based home visiting programs that serve new mothers experiencing psychological distress may advance health equity by helping families systemically exposed to adversity. This study examined whether one such program (Promoting First Relationships/PFR) had particularly beneficial effects on maternal and child relationship outcomes for mothers reporting the greatest psychological distress. A
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Disrupted maternal communication and disorganized attachment in the Arab society in Israel Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2023-03-13 Inbar Ariav-Paraira, David Oppenheim, Abraham Sagi-Schwartz, Ghadir Zreik
Disrupted maternal communication during mother-infant interaction has been found to be associated with infants’ disorganized attachment, but has been studied primarily in North American and European samples and not in Arab samples. To address this gap the study examined the association between disrupted maternal communication and infant attachment in a sample of 50 Arab mothers and their one-year-old
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“You do need to do the interaction”: Mothers’ perceptions of responsive parenting following a home-based parenting intervention Infant Ment. Health J. (IF 2.15) Pub Date : 2023-03-03 Sophie Stucley Morris, Anna Price, Vicki McKenzie, Lynn Kemp
Responsive parenting (also known as responsivity) is a dynamic and bidirectional exchange between the parent-child dyad and associated with a child's social and cognitive development. Optimal interactions require a sensitivity and understanding of a child's cues, responsiveness to the child's need, and a modification of the parent's behavior to meet this need. This qualitative study explored the impact