Abstract
Identifying and responding to the mental health needs of young children (0–4 years) exposed to intimate partner violence is one of the most pressing issues confronting child mental health and welfare sectors today. Children exposed to IPV (CEIPV) are at an increased risk of experiencing maltreatment, developing emotional and behavioral problems, and experiencing other adversities (Kimball, Journal of Family Violence, 31, 625–637, 2016). Among the range of protective factors that can mitigate against this impact is a strong relationship with, and attachment to, a primary caregiver (Holt, Buckley, & Whelan, Child Abuse & Neglect, 32, 797–810, 2008). Despite this, there are few evidenced-based programs which address the unique parenting supports required by women who experience domestic violence, while simultaneously attending to the unique developmental and psycho-social needs of exposed young children (Austin, Shanahan, Barrios, & Macy, Trauma, Violence and Abuse, 20(4), 498–519, 2019). This article describes the development and preliminary evaluation of Mothers in Mind, a trauma-informed, dyadic, mother–child intervention program designed to meet this need. Analyses of data from 36 mother–child dyads who completed pre- and post-group evaluation find that, after program completion, mothers report greater parenting self-efficacy, healthier parenting, and enhanced psychological well-being. The importance of relational capacity building in mother–child dyads impacted by violence and suggestions for future avenues for research and intervention are explored.
Highlights
Experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV) often have severe impacts upon women and their children both individually and relationally, potentially impacting
The importance of childhood exposure to intimate partner violence (CEIPV) has long been recognized within child protection as a risk factor (Gordon, 1988; Swift, 1995); it was not until the 1990s that CEIPV was recognized as form of maltreatment in and of itself (Shipman et al, 1999; Stanley, 1997)
This change has led to a substantial shift in the nature of cases reported to child protection and a pressing demand for policy and practice responses from child protection organizations related to CEIPV (Edleson et al, 2006; Edleson, 1999b; Miccio, 1995; Schechter & Edleson, 1994; Shepard & Raschick, 1999; Whitney & Davis, 1999; Wilson, 1998)
Summary
Participants in this research were drawn from a sample collected as part of the Safe and Understood project, a collaborative research project involving multiple university and community partners which aimed to examine the efficacy of providing collaborative CEIPV intervention services to families of young children who have come to the attention of child protective services. A total of 78 mothers and their children attended the MIM program over this period, with 58 (74%) expressing an interest in participating in program evaluation. The 36 mothers included in the analyses were shown to be statistically comparable to the mothers who did not complete both pre- and post-evaluation packages on all demographic variables with the exception of the mothers’ age. Demographic Survey Mothers accessing the MIM program and participating in the program evaluation were asked to complete a demographic survey during the preprogram measurement period. Parenting Self‐efficacy An adapted version of the Tool of Parenting Self-efficacy (TOPSE; Kendall & Bloomfield, 2005) was incorporated within the MIM program evaluation to examine the pre- and post-group effect on mothers’ perceived parenting self-efficacy.
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