We anticipate that the three programs may have different effects on a range of infant outcomes. This information will be formative to specifying the effects of prenatal programming, parent stress/mental health, and parenting on different infant neurobiological systems.
What we’re learning
Our research explores brief interventions that may support maternal well-being and effective parenting practices. Strengthening these areas might shape infants’ neurobiologically based systems of self-regulation, including their response to stress, emotional regulation and executive function. These in turn might promote infants’ emotion regulation, pro-social behaviors, and social-emotional well-being.
Publications
Lengua, L.J., Thompson, S.F., Calhoun, R. et al. Preliminary Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Perinatal Mindfulness-Based Well-Being and Parenting Programs for Low-Income New Mothers. Mindfulness (2023).
Lengua, L. J., Stavish, C. M., Green, L. M., Shimomaeda, L., Thompson, S. F., Calhoun, R., Moini, N., & Smith, M. R. (2023). Pre-COVID-19 predictors of low-income women’s COVID-19 appraisal, coping, and changes in mental health during the pandemic. Journal of Community Psychology, 1– 19.
Thompson, S.F., Shimomaeda, L., Calhoun, R. et al. Maternal Mental Health and Child Adjustment Problems in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Families Experiencing Economic Disadvantage. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol 50, 695–708 (2022).
What’s next
We are interested in knowing if an online version of our programs will be more easily accessible for new parents. We are testing this in our NEW Parents Connect program. Learn more here.
We will continue to seek funding to evaluate community-based implementation of the programs to promote well-being in new mothers and their infants and to develop training opportunities for perinatal providers to incorporate the programs into their work with new parents.
- Liliana Lengua (PI)
- Cathryn Booth-LaForce (Nursing)
- Ira Katrowitz-Gordon (Nursing)
- Lynn Fainsilber-Katz (Psychology)
- Paula Nurius (Social Work)
- Cynthia Price (Nursing)
- Jessica Sommerville (Psychology)
- Stephanie Thompson (Psychology)