Depression During the Postpartum Period and Impacts on Parent-Child Relationships: A Narrative Review.

Although controversy exists around labels for postpartum depression (PPD), focusing efforts on terms distracts the research community from better understanding the impact of depression on parent-infant relationships. The purpose of this article is to provide a narrative review of research related to how depression experienced in the postpartum period impacts parent-infant relationships. Our review indicates that PPD is pervasive, symptoms often appear during pregnancy, and it has the potential to negatively impact parent-infant relationships. Based on the recent review of literature, intervention efforts should focus on identification and treatment of PPD as early as possible to mitigate detrimental long-term impacts on parent-child relationships.

A Qualitative Inquiry of Parents' Observations of Their Children's Mental Health Needs During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Given that children and adolescents are at critical periods of development, they may be particularly vulnerable to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a descriptive phenomenological approach, 71 parents' observations of their child's mental health difficulties were explored. Parents sought out treatment because their children were experiencing significant distress. Data used were transcribed from baseline questionnaires and therapy summaries. Data analysis revealed three themes: emotion regulation difficulties, hypervigilance, and despair. The search for strategies and tailored interventions to help mitigate the potential harmful and long-term mental health impacts of the pandemic should be at the forefront of research and clinical practice.

Brief, parent-led, transdiagnostic cognitive-behavioral teletherapy for youth with emotional problems related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to increased stress, anxiety, and depression in children. A six-session, parent-led, transdiagnostic, cognitive-behavioral teletherapy program was adapted from an established protocol to help youth aged between 5 and 13 years manage emotional problems during the pandemic. METHODS: One-hundred twenty-nine parents of youth struggling with emotional problems during the COVID-19 pandemic participated in the program. Parents reported on their children's psychosocial functioning before and after treatment using validated assessments. They also reported on treatment satisfaction. Clinician-rated global improvement was assessed at each session to determine clinically significant treatment response. RESULTS: Significant improvements in parent proxy-reported anxiety (d = 0.56), depression (d = 0.69), stress (d = 0.61), anger (d = 0.69), family relationships (d = 0.32), and COVID-19-related distress (d = 1.08) were found, with 62% of participants who completed the program being classified as treatment responders. Parents reported high levels of satisfaction with the program. LIMITATIONS: This study was limited by use of primarily parent-report assessments and a lack of a control group. CONCLUSIONS: Brief, parent-led, transdiagnostic cognitive-behavioral teletherapy appeared to be an effective way to help youth cope with the pandemic and may be a scalable framework in response to large-scale mental health crises.

Variations in Criteria for Eligibility Determination for Early Intervention Services with a Focus on Eligibility for Children with Neonatal Complications.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this policy review is to describe data on eligibility determination practices for early intervention (EI) services across the United States as they particularly relate to eligibility determination for children seen in neonatal follow-up clinics. METHOD: Policy information was gathered from posted information on state EI websites and confirmed through follow-up phone calls. Information collected included definition of delay, approved measures for developmental assessment, and inclusion criteria for medically at-risk status based on birth weight, prematurity, and/or neonatal abstinence syndrome/prenatal exposure. RESULTS: States varied widely across enrollment practices and policies. Forty percent of states defined eligibility based on percent delay (vs SD). Thirty-five states had criteria for enrollment based on birth weight and/or prematurity, and 19 states specifically allowed enrollment for an infant with neonatal abstinence syndrome. CONCLUSION: Providers working in neonatal follow-up clinics should be carefully educated about the eligibility criteria and approved tests for assessing development in the states in which they practice, recognizing that there is obvious and significant variability across states.