Virtual parent–infant psychotherapy is impactful and accessible for mothers and babies attending a community perinatal service

Abstract

ABSTRACT Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, parent–infant psychotherapy (PIP) was routinely offered face-to-face to mothers and babies attending a UK community perinatal mental health service. The pandemic necessitated the rapid transfer of PIP to a virtual platform to continue delivery at time of increased vulnerability for mothers and babies. This service evaluation sought to evaluate this novel method of delivery, of which, the processes and outcomes were unknown. The findings demonstrated that virtual PIP (vPIP) is impactful and accessible for mothers and their babies, with statistically significant improvements found in maternal mental health and postpartum bonding. Furthermore, interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) of interviews exploring the experience and meaning for mothers and babies engaging in vPIP, illuminated the complex therapeutic processes underlying the positive clinical outcomes. In conclusion, this small-scale service evaluation demonstrated that, despite the frustrations and anxieties of working online, mothers in our sample found the overall experience of vPIP to be positive, and to result in real-world differences for them and their babies.