The protective value of trait mindfulness for mothers' anxiety during the perinatal period.

OBJECTIVES: Anxiety is highly prevalent in the perinatal period and can have negative consequences for the mother and the child. Extensive research has been done on risk factors for anxiety during the perinatal period, but less is known about protective factors. The current study aims to determine the relative contribution of trait mindfulness as a protective factor for anxiety. METHODS: A longitudinal study design was used, with four measurement points: 12, 22, and 32 weeks of pregnancy (T0, T1, and T2, respectively), and 6 weeks postpartum (T3). General anxiety was measured at T1, T2, and T3, pregnancy-specific distress was measured at T1 and T2, mindfulness facets (acting with awareness, non-reacting, and non-judging) and partner involvement were measured at T1, and other known risk factors for anxiety were measured at T0. Multilevel regression models were used for statistical analyses. RESULTS: Mindfulness facets measured at T1 were negatively associated with anxiety at T1, T2, and T3, and pregnancy-specific distress at T1 and T2. Of the mindfulness facets, non-judging was shown to have the largest protective effect against anxiety and pregnancy-specific distress. Also compared to partner-involvement and known risk factors, non-judging showed the largest effect on anxiety and pregnancy-specific distress. CONCLUSIONS: For pregnant women who are at risk for developing or experiencing high levels of anxiety, it may be beneficial to participate in a mindfulness training with special attention for the attitudinal aspects of mindfulness.

Teacher-reported prevalence and management of child health problems at primary school.

We explored primary school teacher-reported experiences, prevalence and management of child health and developmental problems and medication administration from one multi-ethnic urban community in England. A survey was delivered to 90 reception class teachers in 45 primary schools, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of eight respondents. Fifty-six percent of teachers completed the questionnaire. Findings suggest that teachers and school staff may represent an underused resource for identifying children with developmental and health conditions and that the connections formed between schools and families could be utilized by other services by delivering interventions in schools where possible. Whilst most schools use a policy to inform the management of child health in school, some key areas such as training and documentation of medication administration may not be followed in practice. Interview findings supported and expanded on survey data by identifying barriers to collaboration between services and families.