Supplementation of Urban Home Visitation with a Series of Group Meetings for Parents and Infants: Results of a "Real-World" Randomized, Controlled Trial

• NCJ Number: 202231
• Journal: Child Abuse& Neglect Volume: 25 Issue: 12 Dated: December 2001 Pages: 1571-1581
• Author(s): John N. Constantino; Nahid Hashemi; Ellen Solis; Tal Alon; Sandra Haley; Stephanie McClure; Nita Nordlicht; Michele A. Constantino; Julie Elmen; Vicki Kay Carlson
• Editor(s): Richard D. Krugman
• Date Published: December 2001
• Length: 11 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This two-phase “real world” randomized controlled trial study examined the effectiveness in using a group setting for parents and children as an alternative to home visitation in the prevention of child maltreatment and the enhancement of psychosocial outcomes in both parents and children.

Abstract

Home visitation has demonstrated its effectiveness as a public health intervention and capable of reducing rates of child abuse and neglect. However, disadvantaged parents in urban settings are reluctant to utilize this service. This is devastating to those families likely to benefit from this intervention. This study attempted to determine whether engaging parents in a nonthreatening group experience would improve the likelihood of their enrollment and participation in an ongoing home visitation program and offer benefits to parents and children independent of the effects of home visitation itself. The group sessions were designed to promote parents’ practical understanding of children’s earliest social relationships. The study hypothesizes that an intervention to promote parent-infant attachment might be of interest to parents, and would provide a forum for engaging parents in the prospect of home visitation. Two cohorts of women with 3- to 18-month old infants living in two adjacent zip codes in the city of St. Louis participated in the study. The first cohort included women enrolled in an existing home visitation program and the second cohort excluded individuals who were involved in any ongoing home visitation program. The study concluded that a series of group meetings designed to promote parents’ practical understanding of children’s earliest social relationships may constitute an effective means of engaging a sizable proportion of difficult to reach urban families in home visitation. They may also be a useful supplement for parents already participating in home visitation. References