Clinical Research Directory

Promotion of Successful Parenting

Home visitation by community health workers is a commonly utilized approach to support families and prevent child maltreatment. At times, however, more intensive intervention is needed to address familial trauma, depression, or other challenges. This preventive treatment evaluation study evaluates whether adding Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) to a Community Health Worker (CHW) outreach model improves positive parenting and parent-child relationships above CHW alone. The efficacy of CPP has been demonstrated with maltreated and other high-risk populations. This evaluation will examine optimal timing of CPP (beginning prenatally or postnatally) and optimal duration of services (6 vs. 12 months). Additionally, how and for whom CPP is most effective and why will be examined. Assessments of parenting, maternal sensitivity, representational models, cognitions, physiological reactivity, and physical health indicators will be assessed prenatally, and at children's age of 3, 9, and 12 months.