Changing Minds:A Pilot Psychotherapeutic Mother Infant Group
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Changing Minds: An exploration of how a short-term, pilot psychotherapeutic mother infant group can improve maternal mental health, maternal reflective capacity and mother infant object relations?
IRAS ID
232022
Contact name
TARA PEPPER GOLDSMITH
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
UNIVERSITY OF EAST LONDON
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 8 months, 2 days
Research summary
In ordinary development, mothers routinely help their infants to manage painful and overwhelming states of mind by reflecting on what their infant may be experiencing, thinking this over, and responding appropriately. In turn, the infant takes in an idea that overwhelming states can be thought about and understood.
When a mother is consistently not able to do this for her baby, if she is very depressed or otherwise preoccupied, if her own thoughts are frightening to her and her responses to her baby erratic, neglectful or traumatising, her infant is likely to turn to ways of managing which can hinder his emotional and cognitive development.
Psychotherapy with a parent and infant together can help transform the relationship between mother and infant in ways that aid development. I would like to find out if the thinking and containment offered to mothers in a psychotherapeutic group setting could similarly be helpful in enabling them to offer this process to their infants.
REC name
East of England - Cambridge South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/EE/0109
Date of REC Opinion
18 Jun 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion