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Infant Mental Health
Mental wellness among psychiatric-mental health nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic
Psychiatric nursing providers and their unique challenges in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic are not well-represented in the literature. Therefore, this study sought to describe mental well-being of psychiatric nurses, and sought to elucidate factors related to mental wellness during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study utilized cross-sectional survey methodology to evaluate burnout, mental wellness, COVID-related anxiety, professional fulfillment, depressive symptoms, and anxiety symptoms among psychiatric nurses.Introducing mother-baby interaction therapy for mothers with postpartum depression and their infants
Postpartum depression (PPD) and other perinatal mental health disorders have profound adverse effects on maternal-infant interaction and child health. However, standard psychiatric treatment does not necessarily improve the quality of mother-infant interaction. The purpose of this article is to describe the evidence-based CARE intervention and its translation to practice as Mother-Baby Interaction (MBI) Therapy to promote infant outcomes by supporting mothers’ sensitive, responsive, and contingent interactions with their infants.Reprint of "Epigenetics, maternal prenatal psychosocial stress, and infant mental health"
This paper provides a summary of literature on epigenetic effects and infant health outcomes of maternal psychosocial stress during pregnancy. A search of literature yielded a large body of publications between 2008 and 2018. Relevant articles were selected, and additional sources were located from ancestry searches of reference lists. Results implicate maternal prenatal stress as a source of epigenetic mechanisms that affect fetal brain development and program risk for emotional dysregulation and mental disorders over a lifetime and across generations.A practical guide to the use of psychotropic medications during pregnancy and lactation
The use of psychotropic medications during the perinatal period is often met with fear and discomfort on the part of both clinicians and patients. There is a great deal of misinformation about the risks of medication use during pregnancy and lactation. The risk of untreated or undertreated mental illness during this time is an important consideration when making treatment recommendations. This paper serves as a practical guide for clinicians who may be treating patients with psychotropic medication during the perinatal period.Gentle remedies: Restoring faith in the first step of nonpharmacological infant mental health care for the prevention and treatment of “disruptive behavior”
Parents and healthcare providers are reported to be “desperate” for solutions for dealing with temper tantrums and other extreme “disruptive behaviors.” Reports state that at least 10,000 and as many as 20,000 infants under the age of two in 2014 were prescribed drugs such as risperidone, quetiapine, and other antipsychotic medications, suggesting that parents may have lost faith in their inner abilities to create an environment for their infant. Dr. Maria Montessori, concluded from her work that the nervous troubles of many “difficult” children can be traced to one of the most “harmful forms of repressive action” an adult can take, that of “interference” with or interrupting a child's self-chosen activity.The role of mother-infant bond in neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) management
The opioid crisis affects pregnant women and their infants. In the past two decades, the number of infants born with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) has quadrupled causing the cost of healthcare expenditures to climb sharply. Pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches are recommended for the management of NAS. Despite the attention NAS has recently received, treatment recommendations are limited to the hospital setting with much less focus on discharge planning. Additionally, the literature on NAS management does not consider research promoting mother-infant attachment.Narratives of neonatal abstinence syndrome
Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) is a group of physiological and behavioral problems that occurs in neonates exposed to any opioid-derived substance while in utero. The number of infants born with NAS has increased more than five-fold since 2000 and continues to rise. The purpose of this study was to identify facilitators and barriers to caring for these new mothers and infants. Stories were analyzed to understand how these mothers make sense of their experiences and how their relationships with nurses can empower them to become competent parents, while supporting their recovery from substance use.WITHDRAWN: Gentle remedies: Restoring faith in the first step of nonpharmacological infant mental health care for the prevention and treatment of “disruptive behavior”
The Publisher regrets that this article is an accidental duplication of an article that has already been published, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apnu.2019.02.004 . The duplicate article has therefore been withdrawn.U.S. policy for children's mental health
Policy work is demanding and sometimes complicated. There is very little current U.S. activity for children's mental health policy. A review of proposed legislation is not encouraging. This is not unusual. Children are not a voting constituency therefore, nurses must be advocates to ensure services and resources for those from infancy to teenage in need of mental healthcare through policy building and action coalitions.Group-based interventions for postpartum depression: An integrative review and conceptual model
This integrative review explores how and to what extent group-based therapy and social support interventions affect women's recovery from postpartum depression (PPD). Thirteen articles from three databases met inclusion criteria. The studies revealed that a group environment of acceptance and understanding set a foundation for women to share their experiences with PPD. As women shared challenges, wisdom, and guidance within the group, they attained positive outcomes: validation, empowerment, and improvements in depressive symptoms.Postpartum depression: A multi-disciplinary approach to screening, management and breastfeeding support
Postpartum depression (PPD) is a common condition affecting 11%-20% of all postpartum women. Depression can have significant consequences for both mother and infant. There are many risk factors associated with PPD, all of which contribute to an inflammatory response in the mother. An inverse relationship exists between PPD and breastfeeding; women with PPD are less likely to have a positive breastfeeding experience which can lead to early weaning, while long-term exclusive breastfeeding is associated with decreased rates of PPD.Perinatal depression and infant mental health
A mother's mental health during pregnancy and the first year postpartum is of the utmost importance to the cognitive, social, and emotional development of her child. Perinatal depression is associated with increased risk for wide-ranging adverse child development effects that can affect infant and early childhood mental health. Although effective treatments for perinatal depression exist, it is currently unclear if treatment of maternal depression alone is sufficient to ameliorate the negative effects of maternal depression on child outcomes.Beyond the ACE score: Examining relationships between timing of developmental adversity, relational health and developmental outcomes in children
The association between developmental adversity and children's functioning is complex, particularly given the multifaceted nature of adverse experiences. The association between the timing of experience and outcomes is underresearched and clinically under-appreciated. We examine how the timing of both adverse (including potentially traumatic) events and relational poverty are associated with developmental outcomes.From experiences to expectations: A quantitative study on the fear of childbirth among multigravida women
There is a strong relationship between women's previous birth experiences and their predetermined expectations. Childbirth expectations play an important role in the women's response to the birthing experience and postpartum period. The negative emotions and expectations, such as fear of childbirth, may result in negative experiences in subsequent childbirths. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between previous birth experiences and the fear of childbirth in current pregnancy. A sample of 309 healthy women with normal pregnancies was recruited for this study.Epigenetics, maternal prenatal psychosocial stress, and infant mental health
This paper provides a summary of literature on epigenetic effects and infant health outcomes of maternal psychosocial stress during pregnancy. A search of literature yielded a large body of publications between 2008 and 2018. Relevant articles were selected, and additional sources were located from ancestry searches of reference lists. Results implicate maternal prenatal stress as a source of epigenetic mechanisms that affect fetal brain development and program risk for emotional dysregulation and mental disorders over a lifetime and across generations.
