Abstract
The proposed feasibility study will evaluate the implementation of Parents First in Medical Settings (PFMS), an intervention with parents of medically vulnerable infants, in an outpatient clinic setting. The Parents First curriculum, which addresses parenting and parent-child relationship issues by drawing upon attachment theory and reflective functioning, has been used to provide support to parents in daycare and early childhood educational settings. It is a developmental approach to parent intervention, focusing on direct work with parents to improve their relationship with their child. Preliminary findings regarding Parents First workshops suggest that parents gain knowledge about their children's development and felt more supported in their parenting efforts as a result of attending these workshops. The proposed study will entail modifying the format and curriculum of Parents First to support parents of premature infants and provide them information regarding child development within a medical context. The overall aim of this research study is to determine the feasibility and clinical utility of the PFMS approach as a clinic-based program to provide parent support, to increase parent understanding of children's social and emotional development, and to enhance family management of medical needs for this vulnerable infant population.
The following research questions regarding the PFMS intervention will be addressed in this study: Do parents of premature infants who participate in the PFMS intervention demonstrate the following at the end of treatment: 1) decreased parenting stress; 2) improved feelings of parenting efficacy; 3) improved parenting practices; 4) increase in family management behaviors (related to medical needs of identified infant); and 5) improved emotional functioning (decreased depressed and anxious feelings). The proposed study design is an experimental pretest-posttest control group design. The study sample will be recruited from a subset of families with an identified premature infant who will be attending both the Synagis and Preterm Infant Primary Care Clinics, which is aimed at maximizing family participation in the study and intervention sessions. The Preterm Infant Primary Care Clinic, which was developed to manage the medical conditions unique to premature and high risk infants, provides on-site care from a multidisciplinary team, including a developmental pediatrician, pediatric nurse practitioner, primary nurse, occupational therapist, and nutritionist. The implementation of PFMS in this clinic setting will be the first organized effort to augment the services provided by integrating professionals with mental health expertise into the existing team.
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Principal Investigator
Lynette Tay
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