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Reconnecting mothers and children after violence (RECOVER): a feasibility study protocol of child-parent psychotherapy in Australia
journal contribution
posted on 2019-06-01, 00:00 authored by Leesa Hooker, Emma Toone, Vibhay Raykar, Cathy Humphreys, Anita Morris, Elizabeth WestruppElizabeth Westrupp, Angela TaftINTRODUCTION: Intimate partner violence detrimentally affects the social and emotional well-being of children and mothers. These two populations are impacted both individually and within the context of their relationship with one another. Child mental health, maternal mental health and the mother-child relationship may be impaired as a consequence. Early intervention to prevent or arrest impaired mother-child attachment and child development is needed. Dyadic or relational mental health interventions that include mothers with their children, such as child-parent psychotherapy, are effective in improving the mental health of both children and mothers and also strengthening their relationship. While child-parent psychotherapy has been trialled overseas in several populations, Australian research on relational interventions for children and women recovering from violence is limited. This study aims to assess the acceptability and feasibility of implementing child-parent psychotherapy in Australian families. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Using a mixed methods, prepost design this feasibility study will examine the acceptability of the intervention to women with preschool aged children (3-5 years, n=15 dyads) and providers, and identify process issues including recruitment, retention and barriers to implementation and sustainability. In addition, intervention efficacy will be assessed using maternal and child health outcomes and functioning, and mother-child attachment measures. Young children's mental health needs are underserviced in Australia. More research is needed to fully understand parenting in the context of intimate partner violence and what works to help women and children recover. If the intervention is found to be feasible, findings will inform future trials and expansion of child-parent psychotherapy in Australia. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics approval obtained from clinical sites and the La Trobe University Human Research Ethics Committee (ID: HEC17-108). Results will be disseminated through conference proceedings and academic publications.
History
Journal
BMJ openVolume
9Issue
5Article number
e023653Pagination
1 - 8Publisher
BMJ Publishing GroupLocation
London, Eng.Publisher DOI
Link to full text
eISSN
2044-6055Language
engPublication classification
C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journalCopyright notice
2019, Author(s)Usage metrics
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No categories selectedKeywords
mental healthRECOVERmothers and children after violencechild–parent psychotherapyAustraliaIntimate partner violenceChild mental healthmaternal mental healthmother–child relationshipScience & TechnologyLife Sciences & BiomedicineMedicine, General & InternalGeneral & Internal MedicineDOMESTIC VIOLENCEYOUNG-PEOPLEINTERVENTIONSATTACHMENTEXPOSUREEFFICACYINFANTSWOMENMETAANALYSIS
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