Topic: Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Programs (Birth to 5)
Definition for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Programs (Birth to 5):
Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Programs (Birth to 5) are defined by the CEBC as those that address mental health issues and early attachment disruptions by intervening through parental/caretaker guidance, supportive counseling, and parent/infant dyadic psychotherapy in children from birth up to five years of age. Infant and early childhood mental health approaches support the child within the context of their relationship with their parents and other primary caretakers. Infant and early childhood mental health programs also help develop capacity in the child for expressing emotions, forming close and secure relationships, and mastering their environment. Infant and early childhood mental health programs can potentially interface across the child welfare service continuum, from working with parents and their infants/young children in prevention-based voluntary services to supporting structured visitation processes with the infant/young child and their parental/caretaker while attempting to reunify. Infant and early childhood mental health programs could also potentially play a key role in supporting the relationship between the care provider and the reunifying parent through a permanency teaming approach. Per the DC:0–5™ Diagnostic Classification of Mental Health and Developmental Disorders of Infancy and Early Childhood Version 2.0:
- Diagnosing an infant/young child who is experiencing mental health problems must include developing an understanding and appreciation of the family’s cultural background and the parents’ socioeconomic conditions, national origin and history, immigration status, ethnic and racial identity, sexual orientation, religious and spiritual practices, and other sources of diversity (p. 9).
- Target population: Children from birth up to five years of age
- Services/types that fit: Typically outpatient services, either individual or family, that target the child directly, work with the parent and child together, or target the entire family
- Delivered by: Mental health professionals or trained paraprofessionals
- In order to be included: Program must specifically target mental health or attachment issues in children from birth up to five years of age
- In order to be rated: There must be research evidence (as specified by the Scientific Rating Scale) that examines outcomes related to mental health or attachment in young children or their parents, such changes in symptom levels, behaviors, and/or functioning.
Programs in this Topic Area
The programs listed below have been reviewed by the CEBC and, if appropriate, been rated using the Scientific Rating Scale.
Topic Expert
Laurel K. Leslie, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics
Tufts Medical Center, Floating Hospital for Children
Director, Aligning Researchers and Communities for Health (ARCH)
Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute
Boston, MA