BOOST-2: Boosting Baby Communication and Play
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Boosting Baby Communication and Play: Optimising video feedback for perinatal mental health
IRAS ID
289896
Contact name
Kirsten Barnicot
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
City University of London
ISRCTN Number
ISRCTN64237883
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 8 months, 31 days
Research summary
When a new mother experiences mental illness, this can raise challenges not just for herself, but also for her relationship with her child and for her child’s future development and mental health. The NHS Long-Term plan states that increasing access to interventions to support parent-infant relationships should be a priority. However, we have very little evidence on what parent-infant interventions actually help when implemented in real-world NHS services.
Our team has recently evaluated the video feedback for positive parenting intervention (VIPP) in perinatal mental health services for women experiencing mental illness in the first year of their child’s life. Mothers are videoed interacting with their babies, and given positive and non-judgemental feedback. We found potential benefits for mothers and children receiving VIPP, in how confident mothers felt and how they interacted with their children, and in children’s mental health.
However, VIPP is currently designed for infants aged above 6 months. To help more women using perinatal mental health services, we have now adapted VIPP for younger babies and have also added tips on what strategies parents can use to feel calmer if they are feeling stressed while interacting with their child.
We now need to pilot the modified intervention with Mums using perinatal mental health services, to check it is feasible for clinicians to deliver, and to gain Mums' and clinicians' feedback. We will train clinicians in perinatal mental health services to deliver the modified intervention. We will evaluate how well perinatal mental health staff are able to deliver the intervention; mothers’ attendance and feedback; changes in mothers’ responses to their babies’ communication, parenting-related stress, parental self-confidence and bond with their baby. We will assess these using questionnaires and videos of the mothers playing with their babies, as well as by carrying out feedback interviews with mothers and clinicians.REC name
East of England - Cambridge South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/EE/0139
Date of REC Opinion
29 Jun 2021
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion