Infant Mental Health PSY 417. Infant Mental Health ► Risk verus Infant Mental Health.

Infant Mental HealthInfant Mental Health

PSY 417PSY 417

Infant Mental HealthInfant Mental Health

►Risk verus Infant Mental HealthRisk verus Infant Mental Health

Risk FactorsRisk Factors

►Biological or psychosocial hazards that Biological or psychosocial hazards that increase the likelihood of a negative increase the likelihood of a negative developmental outcome in a group of developmental outcome in a group of people.people.

►Known or suspected factors that may Known or suspected factors that may affect development.affect development.

Small Group ActivitySmall Group Activity

►List as many risk factors as you can. List as many risk factors as you can. Be as specific as possible.Be as specific as possible.

Types of Risk: Tjossem Types of Risk: Tjossem (1976)(1976)

►Established: medical disorders of known Established: medical disorders of known etiology with well known expectancies for etiology with well known expectancies for developmental outcomes.developmental outcomes.

►Biological: prenatal, perinatal, neonatal Biological: prenatal, perinatal, neonatal and early developmental effects that are and early developmental effects that are considered biological insults to the CNS.considered biological insults to the CNS.

►Environmental: biologically sound infants Environmental: biologically sound infants with life experiences that have a high with life experiences that have a high probability for delayed development.probability for delayed development.

Class ActivityClass Activity

►Take list from small groups and Take list from small groups and categorize them into the Tjossem categorize them into the Tjossem types.types.

General PrinciplesGeneral Principles

► Can have more than one type of risk factor.Can have more than one type of risk factor.► Can have more than one risk factor within Can have more than one risk factor within

categories.categories.► The more risk factors, the more likely adverse The more risk factors, the more likely adverse

developmental outcomes will occur.developmental outcomes will occur.► Early risk factors are less predictive than later risk Early risk factors are less predictive than later risk

factors.factors.► Biological factors associated with poorer Biological factors associated with poorer

developmental outcomes only when combined with developmental outcomes only when combined with environmental risk factors.environmental risk factors.

► Family/ecological variables most predictive for Family/ecological variables most predictive for predicting developmental outcomes.predicting developmental outcomes.

Resilience/Protective FactorsResilience/Protective Factors

►Factors that protect or buffer children Factors that protect or buffer children at risk.at risk.

►Also called mitigating factors.Also called mitigating factors. Characteristics of childrenCharacteristics of children Parental characteristicsParental characteristics Community factorsCommunity factors

Small Group ActivitySmall Group Activity

► Identify three examples of Identify three examples of resilience/protective factors in each of resilience/protective factors in each of the three categories.the three categories.

Risk ModelsRisk Models

► Single Risk Model: assumes that any one risk Single Risk Model: assumes that any one risk factor is sufficient to put a child at-risk for factor is sufficient to put a child at-risk for developmental delay.developmental delay. Danger of over-identification or under-Danger of over-identification or under-

identification of children at-risk.identification of children at-risk. No single risk factor is predictive of developmental No single risk factor is predictive of developmental

delay.delay.

► Cumulative Risk Model: assumes that risk is Cumulative Risk Model: assumes that risk is not due to a single factor but the concurring not due to a single factor but the concurring of a variety of environmental and biological of a variety of environmental and biological factors.factors.

Increases in the Number of At-Increases in the Number of At-risk Childrenrisk Children

►Advances in medical technologyAdvances in medical technology► Increases in social problemsIncreases in social problems► Increases in multiple birthsIncreases in multiple births

Infant Mental HealthInfant Mental Health

►A broad-based, multidisciplinary, and A broad-based, multidisciplinary, and international effort to enhance the international effort to enhance the social and emotional well-being of social and emotional well-being of young children and which includes the young children and which includes the efforts of clinicians, researchers, and efforts of clinicians, researchers, and policymakers (Zeahnah & Zeahnah, policymakers (Zeahnah & Zeahnah, 2009).2009).

Steering Committee on Infant Steering Committee on Infant Mental HealthMental Health

► Zero to Three, 2001Zero to Three, 2001► ““the young child’s capacity to experience, the young child’s capacity to experience,

regulate, and express emotions, form close and regulate, and express emotions, form close and secure relationships, and explore the secure relationships, and explore the environment and learn. All of these capacities environment and learn. All of these capacities will be best accomplished within the context of will be best accomplished within the context of the caregiving environment that includes family, the caregiving environment that includes family, community, and cultural expectations for young community, and cultural expectations for young children. Developing these capacities is children. Developing these capacities is synonymous with health social and emotional synonymous with health social and emotional development.”development.”

Clinical Practice of Infant Clinical Practice of Infant Mental HealthMental Health

►Strengths-basedStrengths-based►Relational frameworkRelational framework►Prevention orientationPrevention orientation

Empirical Foundations of Empirical Foundations of Infant Mental HealthInfant Mental Health

►Early experiences matterEarly experiences matter Critical periodsCritical periods

►Relatively short period of time in which learning Relatively short period of time in which learning can occur. can occur.

►Must have certain experiences in order for Must have certain experiences in order for normal development to occur. normal development to occur.

►Permanent and irreversible effect.Permanent and irreversible effect. Sensitive Period: time that is optimal for Sensitive Period: time that is optimal for

certain capacities to emerge - especially certain capacities to emerge - especially responsive to environmental stimulation.responsive to environmental stimulation.

► Importance of context/relationshipsImportance of context/relationships

InterventionsInterventions► Goals of infant mental health: to reduce or Goals of infant mental health: to reduce or

eliminate suffering, to prevent adverse eliminate suffering, to prevent adverse outcomes and to promote healthy outcomes outcomes and to promote healthy outcomes by enhancing social competence and by enhancing social competence and resilience.resilience.

► Interventions must:Interventions must: Enhance ability of caregivers to nurture young Enhance ability of caregivers to nurture young

childrenchildren Ensure families receive needed servicesEnsure families receive needed services Increase ability of nonfamilial caregivers to Increase ability of nonfamilial caregivers to

identify, address and prevent social-emotional identify, address and prevent social-emotional problems in early childhood.problems in early childhood.

Preventative InterventionsPreventative Interventions

►Aim to prevent the initial onset of a Aim to prevent the initial onset of a disorder, decrease causal factors and disorder, decrease causal factors and increase protective factors and/or increase protective factors and/or decrease the severity or duration of a decrease the severity or duration of a disorder.disorder.

Treatment

Indicated Intervention

Selective Intervention

Universal Interventions