Infant Mental Health Journal最新文献

Compared with the more physically fragile extremely/very preterm children (E/VPT), moderate-to-late preterm (MLPT) children—the large majority of preterm births—are underrepresented in research. This gap persists despite evidence that MLPT children exhibit more difficulties than full-term peers in certain domains. This scoping review surveys the literature on psychological forms of self-regulation in MLPT children, organized around three levels: emotional, behavioral, and cognitive regulation. We sought studies on MLPT children, aged 3 months to 3 years, including: (1) comparisons of self-regulation with other gestational groups; and (2) environmental and individual factors associated with self-regulation specifically in MLPT children. A systematic search across five electronic databases, supplemented by a manual search, identified 24 relevant articles. Our review found inconsistencies regarding self-regulation in MLPT children compared to other gestational groups. Emotion regulation in MLPT children appears comparable to E/VPT children, whereas behavioral regulation aligns more with full-term peers. Results for cognitive regulation are mixed. Environmental factors (e.g., maternal depressive symptoms) and individual factors (e.g., sex) associated with self-regulation were identified. The review underscores variability in self-regulation development among MLPT children and highlights the limited research focused on this population. More research, particularly longitudinal studies with representative samples, is urgently needed.

A growing body of research suggests that infant and early childhood mental health consultation (IECMHC) is effective in improving child outcomes and classroom quality in early care and education (ECE) settings. However, there is limited research regarding the provision of IECMHC virtually (e.g., by phone or video conferencing platform), and the transition to virtual services in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic provided an opportunity to learn more. This study focuses on mental health consultants’ (MHCs) perceptions of the feasibility and effectiveness of providing IECMHC virtually. Using a purposive sampling method, we gathered survey data from 94 MHCs providing IECMHC in 15 states in the United States. More than two-thirds of MHCs reported consultation was as effective or more effective virtually (compared to in-person) when it involved adult or programmatic consultation, while one-third of MHCs viewed child-focused consultation as being as or more effective virtually. There was wide variation in the extent to which MHCs viewed specific consultation activities as feasible and effective when delivered virtually. Furthermore, one-third of consultants reported that the ECE programs they served experienced major barriers related to equipment and technology. We explore how these findings can inform future planning for the provision of virtual services.

Parental reflective functioning (PRF) refers to a parent's ability to understand their own and their child's mental states and connect them to behaviors. This longitudinal study evaluated (1) associations among prenatal PRF, using the Pregnancy Interview, demographics, prenatal maternal depressive symptoms, and maternal-fetal attachment and (2) whether prenatal PRF predicted parenting quality assessed during unstructured and challenging mother-child interaction tasks beyond infancy, after controlling for cumulative risk. Data were collected in an urban community sample of women in the midwestern US. Prenatal PRF was positively associated with maternal educational attainment and negatively associated with cumulative demographic risk, but not with depressive symptoms or maternal-fetal attachment. Controlling for cumulative risk, hierarchical regressions showed that prenatal PRF was the sole significant predictor of positive parenting at 36 months, observed during a challenging teaching task but not during free play. Prenatal PRF did not predict negative parenting. These patterns persisted when analyses were repeated within a subsample of Black mothers, with PRF again being the sole significant predictor of positive parenting. Further attention to cultural variations in PRF and parenting in future research is warranted.

This study examined the role of maternal mind-mindedness (MM) – the tendency to ascribe mental states to one's child – in infant regulatory symptoms and disorders and the moderating role of parenting stress and global psychological distress. A better understanding of these relationships may inform prevention and intervention programs. The interactional MM measure (appropriate and positive mind-related comments) was applied in a clinical group with regulatory disorders (ClinGrp; N = 124) and a healthy comparison group (CompGrp; N = 31) with mothers and their infants aged 4 to 15 months in Germany. Group differences between the ClinGrp and the CompGrp were calculated. Positive MM was higher in the CompGrp than in the ClinGrp. Appropriate and positive MM were negatively related to infant regulatory symptoms. Psychological distress was negatively linked to appropriate and positive MM. Parenting stress and psychological distress did not moderate the relationship between appropriate MM and regulatory symptoms. Lower-quality MM characterizes parent–infant interactions in the context of regulatory symptoms and disorders. Implications for future research on the valence of mind-minded comments, longitudinal studies on the protective role of MM, possible child effects, and clinical implications are discussed.

Profiles of parental reflective functioning (PRF) may offer valuable insights into individual differences in PRF. Previous studies have identified PRF profiles; however, further validation is needed. This study aimed to investigate the convergent validity of the identified PRF profiles by examining their association with a related measure of parental mentalization: representational mind-mindedness. Participants were 1168 first-time mothers and 490 fathers living in Denmark. In an online survey, parents reported on the Parental Reflective Functioning Questionnaire—Infant Version and described their 4-month-old infant in a free-text field, which was subsequently coded for the frequency of mental attributes used to describe the infant, indicating representational mind-mindedness. Results support previous findings indicating potential at-risk and typical PRF profiles, supporting the convergent validity of these profiles. Results showed that mothers in the High Pre-Mentalizing profile reported the lowest levels of representational mind-mindedness compared to the other maternal profiles. For fathers, members of Moderate Interest reported lower levels of representational mind-mindedness compared to Moderately Low Certainty and Moderately High Certainty. The current study extends previous work by showing evidence of convergent validity of the PRF profiles, yet further research is still needed to examine the profiles’ generalizability and associations with observed infant and parent outcomes.

Support for families affected by substance use disorders (SUDs) remains challenging, particularly during the postpartum period. The objective of this study was to assess the introduction of an evidence-based parenting intervention, Mothering from the Inside Out (MIO), into the early intervention (EI) home visiting setting. We conducted a mixed methods pilot study in the United States to assess the training and delivery of MIO within EI. MIO training involves didactic learning followed by MIO delivery with weekly consultation. Our primary implementation outcomes were feasibility, acceptability, and factors influencing adoption. We assessed feasibility and fidelity via quantitative measures, and acceptability and adoption via qualitative interviews with providers and parents. Two cohorts of EI providers completed the didactic training: 2019 (in-person) and 2020 (virtually). Ten providers participated in the MIO didactic training and began delivering MIO to 11 mothers; 4 of 10 providers (2 from each cohort) completed the full training. All providers that completed achieved adequate fidelity. Acceptability of MIO and perceived fit within EI was high, though challenges related to complexity limited adoption. Despite encouraging preliminary findings that EI providers achieved adequate adoption and fidelity, further adaptations are needed to address implementation challenges and improve retention of providers and parents.

Parental reflective functioning (PRF), a critical construct in the field of infant mental health, has been under investigated in non-WEIRD countries, where the majority of the world's infants are born. Studies from WEIRD contexts have demonstrated a relationship between socio-demographic and parental reflective functioning scores. This study used a mixed-methods concurrent exploratory research design to investigate relationships between socio-demographic factors and parental reflective functioning in a cohort of Black mothers living in Alexandra Township, South Africa. The study found relationships between parental reflective functioning and both abuse disclosure and father involvement in unexpected directions. Qualitative analysis of interview transcripts and intervention case notes highlighted the potential role of empowerment in the participants PRF scores. The findings highlight the central importance of considering the influence of power dynamics and social positioning when measuring parental reflective functioning for both research and clinical purposes.

Infants are exposed to traumatic events at higher rates than older children, potentially leading to posttraumatic stress symptoms. Despite this higher prevalence, posttraumatic stress responses in infancy have not been well researched due to conceptual, developmental, and methodological challenges. This study conducted in the United States investigated the responses of infants aged 3–18 months after exposure to a range of traumatic events. Caregivers reported on their infants’ trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress symptoms using the UCLA PTSD Reaction Index for DSM-5 for Children Age 6 and Younger and reported on their own posttraumatic symptoms on the PTSD Diagnostic Scale for DSM-5 (PDS-5). Of 116 racially and ethnically diverse infants, 96 (82.8%) were exposed to at least one traumatic event (M = 1.6; SD = 1.2; range = 0–7). Infant trauma exposure and caregiver symptoms were significant predictors of the number and severity of caregiver-endorsed infant symptoms. These findings indicate that infants as young as 3 months of age may manifest posttraumatic stress symptoms after trauma exposure. Developmental context and caregiver functioning should be considered when assessing for posttraumatic stress symptoms in infants.

This quasi-experimental study examined the effect of a virtual supportive program on knowledge among mothers of preterm infants and their bond. Mothers of preterm infants are at risk of becoming emotionally detached from their infants because of immediate separation and the lack of support during the early postpartum period, especially in mothers who cannot visit their infant regularly. To the best of our knowledge, no study in Thailand has examined the effects of virtual support for these mothers, as most scholars have focused on promoting mother–infant interaction to improve bonding and enhancing mothers’ knowledge about their infant before discharge. This study recruited 74 mothers with preterm infants receiving neonatal intensive and intermediate care in Thailand. The participants were matched to mothers according to their infants’ gestational ages and assigned into the following two groups: experimental group receiving virtual support, and control group receiving routine care. The results showed that the virtual supportive program significantly improved mothers’ knowledge on preterm infants’ cues and maternal roles as well as mother–infant bonding. Consistent support during the first week of visitation was essential, especially in providing information about premature infants and emotional support, to improve mother–infant bonding.

Father involvement is strongly associated with children's developmental outcomes. We examined the mediating role of the father–child relationship and mother marital satisfaction on the relationship between father involvement and child social adjustment. The participants came from eight kindergartens in six provinces in China and included 573 families. We collected data cross-sectionally using validated measures to assess the direct and indirect effects of father involvement, the father–child relationship, and mother marital satisfaction on child social adjustment using path models, with fathers reporting father involvement and the father–child relationship, and mothers reporting mother marital satisfaction and child social adjustment. The results of the study showed a significant positive correlation between father involvement and child social adjustment. Additionally, father–child conflict and mother marital satisfaction served as independent mediators, the father–child relationship (including father–child closeness and father–child conflict) and mother marital satisfaction created a chain mediating effect between father involvement and child social adjustment. This finding emphasizes the effect of father involvement on children's social adjustment, revealing the necessity of nurturing healthy parent–child and marital relationships for the development of children's social adjustment.