Parent-infant psychotherapy: randomised controlled trial

• To evaluate the outcomes of PIP versus routine care for maternal mental health.

• To evaluate the outcomes of PIP versus routine care for infant development.

• To evaluate the outcomes of PIP versus routine care for the parent-infant relationship.

Mother-infant dyads were referred by health and social care professionals from a number of inner-city London sites. Participants were randomly allocated to either the treatment group, being offered weekly sessions of PIP, or the control group, receiving routine care. 

Mother-infant dyads were assessed at three time points (baseline, 6-month follow-up and 12-month follow-up) using a standardised battery of outcome measures looking at maternal variables, infant variables and the parent-infant relationship.

• Baradon

  , T., Broughton, C., Gibbs, I., James, J., Joyce, A., & Woodhead, J. (2005).

   

  The Practice of psychoanalytic parent-infant psychotherapy: Claiming the baby

  .

   

  Routledge.

   

• Fonagy

  , P.,

   

  Sleed

  , M. &

   

  Baradon

  , T. (2016). Randomized controlled trial of parent–infant psychotherapy for parents with mental health problems and young infants.

   

  Infant Mental Health Journal, 37

  (2), 97–114.

   

  https://doi.org/10.1002/imhj.21553

Mothers in the PIP treatment had significantly better outcomes over time and relative to the control group on measures of maternal mental health, parenting stress and maternal representations of the baby. No between-group differences were observed in relation to child development, parent-infant interaction or infant attachment status at the 12-month follow-up. The findings suggest that parent-infant psychotherapy for this population may be particularly helpful in alleviating maternal psychological distress.

Professor Peter Fonagy

chaptre@annafreud.org