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Health‐Led Interventions in the Early Years to Enhance Infant and Maternal Mental Health: A Review of Reviews
Author(s) -
Barlow Jane,
McMillan Anita Schrader,
Kirkpatrick Sue,
Ghate Deborah,
Barnes Jacqueline,
Smith Marjorie
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
child and adolescent mental health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.912
H-Index - 46
eISSN - 1475-3588
pISSN - 1475-357X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1475-3588.2010.00570.x
Subject(s) - psychological intervention , closeness , mental health , infant mental health , perception , medicine , psychology , perinatal period , developmental psychology , psychiatry , nursing , pregnancy , mathematical analysis , mathematics , neuroscience , biology , genetics
Background: Increasing recognition of the importance of maternal mental health and early parenting in optimising the later mental health of the child has given rise to new ways of working during the perinatal period. Aims: The objective of this review is to identify effective health‐led interventions to support parents, parenting and the parent‐infant relationship during the perinatal period, 1 and beyond. Method: A systematic search of key electronic databases was undertaken to identify secondary and primary sources of data addressing the research question. Twenty‐four reviews addressed the effectiveness of interventions delivered during the postnatal period in promoting closeness and sensitive parenting, infant sensory and perceptual capabilities, and positive parenting, and in addressing infant regulatory problems, maternal mental health problems, and parent‐infant relationship problems. Conclusions: A number of methods of working are recommended as part of a model of progressive‐universalism beginning ante‐natally and continuing through the first two post‐natal years, and beyond. The implications for universal, targeted and specialist healthcare services are explored, alongside the role and contribution of CAMHS practitioners.