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Short-term psychodynamic infant-parent interventions at Child health centers: Outcomes on parental depression and
Björn Salomonsson1, Katarina Kornaros1, Rolf Sandell2
1Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
Insights
Brief psychodynamic interventions for mothers and infants in public health care showed significant improvements in maternal well-being and infant social-emotional development. This naturalistic study highlights the effectiveness of integrated mental health support.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Public Health
- Infant Mental Health
Background:
- Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) confirm parent-infant psychotherapy efficacy.
- Limited data exists on its real-world application within public healthcare systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of Short-term Psychodynamic Infant-Parent Interventions at Child Health Centers (SPIPIC) in a public healthcare setting.
- To assess changes in maternal depression and infant social-emotional development.
Main Methods:
- A naturalistic study involving 100 distressed mothers and their infants in Stockholm, Sweden.
- Therapists provided brief psychodynamic interventions (average 4.3 sessions).
- Maternal depression (EPDS) and infant social-emotional (ASQ: SE) scores were measured at baseline, 3, and 9 months.
Main Results:
- Significant decreases in maternal depression (EPDS) and improvements in infant social-emotional scores (ASQ: SE) were observed over time.
- Nine months post-intervention, 50% of mothers showed reliable change on the EPDS, and 14% on the ASQ: SE.
- Pre-post effect sizes (d=0.70 for EPDS, d=0.40 for ASQ: SE) were comparable to controlled studies.
Conclusions:
- Psychotherapists integrated into public health care can achieve positive outcomes with brief interventions for distressed mothers and infants.
- Further research is needed to compare SPIPIC with other therapeutic modalities and organizational models.
Abstract:
Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) demonstrate efficacy of parent-infant psychotherapy, but its applicability and effectiveness in public health care are less known. The method followed is Naturalistic study evaluating Short-term Psychodynamic Infant-Parent Interventions at Child Health Centers (SPIPIC) in Stockholm, Sweden. One hundred distressed mothers with infants were recruited by supervised nurses. Six therapists provided 4.3 therapy sessions on average (SD = 3.3). Sessions typically included the mothers, often with the baby present, while fathers rarely attended sessions. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and the Ages and Stages Questionnaire: Social-Emotional (ASQ: SE) were distributed at baseline and at 3 and 9 months later. Data from a nonclinical group were collected simultaneously to provide norm data. Multilevel growth models on the mothers' questionnaire scores showed significant decreases over time on both measures. Nine months after baseline, 50% achieved a reliable change on the EPDS and 14% on the ASQ: SE. Prepost effect-sizes (d) were 0.70 and 0.40 for EPDS and ASQ: SE, figures that are comparable to results of other controlled studies. Psychotherapists integrated with public health care seem to achieve good results when supporting distressed mothers with brief interventions in the postnatal period. SPIPIC needs to be compared with other modalities and organizational frameworks.
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