RESUMEN
Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC) is a preventative, capacity-building intervention in which mental health professionals partner with early childhood professionals to indirectly improve the environments and relationships that young children experience. Prior research has demonstrated that IECMHC is associated with positive outcomes for children, teachers, and classrooms. Over the past decade, IECMHC implementation and research have expanded, warranting an updated review. The current paper provides an update of the IECMHC evidence base. Included studies (n = 16) were systematically gathered, screened, and coded for context, intervention characteristics, methods and measures, outcomes across ecological levels, and alignment with the IDEAS Impact Framework's guiding questions. Our analysis replicates prior reviews, describing the positive impact of IECMHC on outcomes such as child externalizing behavior, teacher self-efficacy, and teacher-child interactions. Beyond updating prior reviews, this analysis describes emerging, nuanced findings regarding the mechanisms of change and the differential impact of IECMHC. We augment our review with descriptions of evaluations that did not meet our inclusion criteria (e.g., IECMHC in the home visiting context, unpublished evaluation reports) to provide context for our findings. Finally, we provide policy and practice implications and articulate an agenda for future research.
Asunto(s)
Salud Mental , Atención Posnatal , Femenino , Embarazo , Humanos , Lactante , Preescolar , Derivación y Consulta , Salud del Lactante , Visita DomiciliariaRESUMEN
Background: There is a concern regarding the decreasing number of family childcare (FCC) providers, due to the population that primarily relies on it. Compared to studies of center- and school-based preschool practitioners, the FCC literature is lacking robust workforce studies, including examinations of whether and how FCC providers' workplace appraisals of and feelings while at work are associated with indicators of interaction quality (relationships with families, relationships with children, and responsiveness to children's negative emotions) and the quality of their interactions with children and families. Objective: The present study examines how groups of FCC providers, categorized based on differences in appraisals of and feelings experienced at work, differ in the quality of interactions with children and families. The study seeks to extend the FCC literature by also describing socio-ecological factors, such as provider and program characteristics, of these different groups of providers. Method: Survey data was collected through a national study of FCC providers (N = 888). A person-centered analysis using hierarchical clustering was used to classify providers into groups based on their workplace appraisals and feelings experienced at work. Results: A person-centered cluster analysis identified four groups. Indicators of interaction quality varied between groups. Group membership was associated with FCC providers' professional commitment, job satisfaction, and emotional exhaustion. Conclusions: Findings from the current study support calls to increase investment in the support of the FCC workforce by addressing FCC providers' needs through recognition of differences in workplace appraisals and provider feelings at work. In particular, reducing FCC providers' emotional exhaustion may be an effective way to increase the quality of their interactions with children and families.