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How do parents perceive and utilize knowledge of their infant's mental health? A systematic review

Jane Peters1, H Skirton1, J Morgan2

  • 11 School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Health and Human Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, Devon, UK.

Journal of Child Health Care : for Professionals Working with Children in the Hospital and Community
|July 20, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Understanding infant mental health (IMH) is crucial for child development. This review highlights limited research on how parents perceive and apply IMH knowledge, emphasizing the need for more studies to support infant well-being.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Pediatrics
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Infant mental health (IMH) is increasingly recognized for its impact on early development and long-term well-being.
  • Links between early experiences and later child development necessitate understanding parental roles in IMH.
  • Current knowledge gaps exist regarding parental perceptions and utilization of IMH information.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review and determine parents' perceptions of infant mental health (IMH).
  • To explore how parents utilize IMH knowledge in their interactions with infants.
  • To identify research limitations and future directions in parental IMH perspectives.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of relevant databases and journals.
  • Inclusion criteria identified 16 papers from an initial 4147 potential sources.
  • Thematic analysis of extracted data presented in narrative form.

Main Results:

  • Three emergent themes: parental knowledge of child development, socio-cultural influences, and interpretation of infant emotions.
  • Research on parental perspectives of IMH and knowledge application is notably limited.
  • Parents' understanding and use of IMH concepts require further investigation.

Conclusions:

  • Parental perceptions and application of infant mental health knowledge are underexplored.
  • Further research is essential to enhance infant mental well-being through informed parenting.
  • Addressing knowledge gaps can optimize developmental trajectories and lifelong mental health outcomes.

Keywords:
Cultureinfant mental healthparental perceptionsparentingsystematic review

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