Randomized Trial of Promoting First Relationships: Effects on Maltreated Toddlers' Separation Distress and Sleep...

Area of Science:

• Child Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Family Studies

Background:

• Parent-child relationships are crucial for child development, especially after reunification.
• Sleep problems are common in toddlers, particularly those in child welfare settings.
• Attachment security influences emotional regulation and sleep patterns in young children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of the Promoting First Relationships (PFR) intervention on toddler sleep problems.
• To examine the mediating role of separation distress in the relationship between PFR and sleep outcomes.
• To understand the impact of an attachment-focused intervention on recently reunified parent-toddler dyads.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial design was used with recently reunified parent-toddler dyads (n=43).
• Data were collected at baseline and 6-month follow-up through home visits.
• Measures included parental reports of sleep problems and observed separation distress using the Toddler Attachment Sort-45.

Main Results:

• The PFR intervention was associated with significantly fewer sleep problems in toddlers, controlling for baseline sleep issues.
• A path analysis indicated that PFR indirectly reduced sleep problems by decreasing separation distress.
• Reductions in separation distress mediated the positive effects of PFR on sleep.

Conclusions:

• Attachment-focused interventions, such as PFR, can effectively reduce sleep problems in toddlers.
• Improving parent-child attachment security and reducing separation distress are key mechanisms for addressing sleep difficulties.
• PFR offers a promising approach for supporting the well-being of recently reunified families and their children.