Early childhood psychopathology and parental mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: the effects of pandemic restrictions on 0- to 3-year-olds.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic placed many restrictions on families and affected the mental health of parents and children. The present study examines how the restrictions imposed during the pandemic and parental mental health affect early childhood psychopathology.

Method: From September 2019 to December 2021, the Outpatient Department of Family Therapy at the Institute for Psychosocial Prevention, Heidelberg surveyed a clinical sample of 249 families who sought consultation for early childhood psychopathology.

Protocol for a systematic review with meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis of preventive interventions versus any control intervention for parents with a mental disorder on offspring outcomes.

Background: Offspring of parents with a mental disorder are at high risk of a range of adverse outcomes, highlighting the need for preventive interventions. However, a comprehensive overview of the beneficial and harmful effects of preventive interventions for parents with mental disorders on offspring outcomes are uncertain. The main objective of this systematic review will be to assess the effects of preventive interventions versus any control intervention for parents with a mental disorder on offspring outcomes.

Mentalisation-based online intervention for psychologically distressed parents: protocol of a non-randomised feasibility trial of the Lighthouse Parenting Programme-Online (LPP-Online).

Introduction: Online-based interventions provide a low-threshold way to reach and support families. The mentalisation-based Lighthouse Parenting Programme is an established intervention aimed at preventing psychopathological development in children. The objective of this study is to examine the feasibility of an online adaptation of the Lighthouse Parenting Programme (LPP-Online), evaluating (a) recruitment capability, compliance, acceptability and satisfaction with the intervention; (b) the psychometric properties of and the acceptability regarding the adjunct psychological evaluation; and (c) the employed materials and resources.

[Pediatric Skills Lab: Strengthening Communication Skills for the Conversations with Psychologically burdened Families].

Pediatric Skills Lab: Strengthening Communication Skills for the Conversations with Psychologically burdened Families To identify psychosocially burdened families early and motivate them to seek further assistance is a central aspect of pediatric preventivemedicine.The aim of the feasibility study was to develop the Pediatric Skills Lab to promote methods for identifying and addressing psychosocially burdened families, and to evaluate it. Thirteen primary care pediatricians participated in two trials of the Pediatric Skills Lab, an interdisciplinary developed two-part digital training.

Within- and between-session changes of in-session reflective functioning of mothers in dyadic parent-infant psychotherapy.

This study investigated if in-session reflective functioning (RF) of mothers improved between and within sessions of brief dyadic focused parent-infant psychotherapy (fPIP) for the treatment of regulatory disorders in infants. In-session RF was coded for 44 therapy sessions from  = 11 mothers randomly selected from a RCT on the efficacy of fPIP as part of secondary analyses. A new rating system distinguished self-focused and child-focused in-session RF.

Is parental depression related to parental mentalizing? A systematic review and three-level meta-analysis.

This systematic review and meta-analysis is aimed to summarize the state of research on the relation between parental depression and parental mentalizing. To account for the multifaceted nature of parental mentalizing, several conceptualizations and measures were included and compared. The last database search was conducted on March 13, 2023.

[On the State of Training in Parent-Infant/Toddler Psychotherapy in Germany].

Regulation disorders in early childhood and postpartum mental disorders of parents can be effectively treated by interventions that involve parents and child (so-called parent-infant psychotherapy, PIP). Availability of PIP in routine care remains low, even though the intervention is in high demand. This study aims to map the current situation of psychotherapy training in PIP in Germany, to record existing obstacles from the perspective of the institutes, and to obtain indications for improving training.

[Domestic violence and its psychological consequences during the COVID-19 pandemic-key findings from German-speaking countries].

The impact of traumatic experiences on mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic has been insufficiently discussed in the German-speaking countries. Against this background, a working group of scientifically and clinically active colleagues was formed on behalf of the German-Speaking Society for Psychotraumatology (DeGPT). The aim of the working group was to summarize central research findings on the incidence of domestic violence and associated psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic in German-speaking countries and to discuss their implications.

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasmosis in Puerperal Women Treated at a Tertiary Referral Hospital.

Objective:  To evaluate the seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis among puerperal women cared for at a tertiary university hospital and the level of understanding of these puerperal women about toxoplasmosis, vertical transmission, and its prophylaxis.

Methods:  For this cross-sectional study, we evaluated 225 patients using presential interviews, prenatal documentation, and electronic medical records. Data were stored using Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) software.

Improving working relationships with families in German early childhood interventions home visitors: a quasi-experimental training study.

Background: Home visitation services within German Early Childhood Interventions (ECI) for families with a child aged 0-3 are mainly provided by frontline pediatric nurses and family midwifes. Home visitors are often challenged by difficult interactions with families. Mentalizing, the ability to understand mental states of oneself and others, is a key skill for building effective working relationships, which in turn positively affect intervention outcomes.

An exploratory study on how attachment classifications manifest in group psychotherapy.

Recently, attachment-informed researchers and clinicians have begun to show that attachment theory offers a useful framework for exploring group psychotherapy. However, it remains unclear whether patients with differing attachment classifications would behave and speak in distinct ways in group therapy sessions. In this study, we conducted an exploratory analysis of the discourse of patients in group therapy who had independently received different classifications with gold standard interview measures of attachment in adults.

Parental Mental Illness, Borderline Personality Disorder, and Parenting Behavior: The Moderating Role of Social Support.

Purpose Of Review: Parental mental disorders, particularly borderline personality disorder (BPD), impair parenting behavior. Consequently, the children exhibit an elevated risk for psychopathology across their lifespan. Social support for parents is thought to moderate the relationship between parental mental illness and parenting behavior.

Transactional Relations between Child Functioning and Parenting Stress in the First Years of Life: A Longitudinal Study among Psychosocially Burdened Families.

Introduction: Previous research reported transactional relations between child functioning and parenting stress. There is limited evidence whether a transactional developmental model also fits children below the age of 12 months, especially in psychosocially burdened families. This study aims to test the fit of a transactional model during the first 3 years of life and examines whether the model differs between families with low and high psychosocial burden.

Learning from mothers who received focused parent-infant psychotherapy for the treatment of their child's regulatory disorders.

Objective: Gaining a deeper understanding of how focused parent-infant psychotherapy (fPIP) works by asking mothers about their experiences.

Method: Purposeful sampling was used to select participants who before had participated in an RCT on fPIP. Nine mothers of infants with early regulatory disorders who had received fPIP were interviewed.

Transdiagnostic Mechanisms of Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic on Adults and Families in Germany: Study Protocol of a Cross-Sectional and 1-Year Longitudinal Study.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, psychological distress is increased. Transdiagnostic mechanisms, including trauma, personality functioning, mentalizing and emotion regulation are considered relevant to the development and maintenance of mental health problems and therefore may play a role in individuals' reactions to the pandemic. To identify moderating and mediating factors associated with pandemic-related distress and mental health problems in adults and families, we aim to investigate the interactions of interpersonal trauma (childhood trauma and domestic violence), psychological capacities (personality functioning, mentalizing and emotion regulation) and pandemic-related adversity on psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic.

[The Importance of Adaptive Treatment Strategies for Treatment Outcome in fSKEPT].

The manualized focused infant/toddler-parent psychotherapy fSKEPT is a psychodynamic focal treatment of early childhood regulatory disorders, in which either a conflict-related or a personality functioning-related treatment focus is carried out. The aim of the study is to review the effectiveness of fSKEPT depending on two different therapeutic treatment focuses. For this purpose, n = 81 families who received fSKEPT were examined as part of secondary analyzes of a randomized controlled study.

Maternal Parenting Stress in the Face of Early Regulatory Disorders in Infancy: A Machine Learning Approach to Identify What Matters Most.

Early regulatory disorders (ERD) in infancy are typically associated with high parenting stress (PS). Theoretical and empirical literature suggests a wide range of factors that may contribute to PS related to ERD. The aim of this study was to identify key predictors of maternal PS within a large predictor data set in a sample of = 135 mothers of infants diagnosed with ERD.

The Efficacy of Brief Parent-Infant Psychotherapy for Treating Early Regulatory Disorders: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objective: Early regulatory disorders (ERD) place considerable strain on the parent-infant relationship and are associated with high parental distress. Brief (4-session) psychodynamic-based focused parent-infant psychotherapy (fPIP) treats ERD by strengthening the quality of the parent-infant relationship. This randomized controlled trial investigates the efficacy of fPIP for treating ERD compared to standard pediatric care (treatment as usual [TAU]).

[Promoting Self-Regulation of Adolescents in School Through Mindfulness].

Mindfulness describes the psychological process of purposely bringing one's attention to the present experiences with an accepting, non-judgmental attitude. As such, it has attracted increasing interest in educational institutions. The present study aims to evaluate a mindfulness training for adolescents in a German high school.