Short Life Working Group on Infant Mental Health

Funded by National Programme partnership organisation HeadsUpScotland, the Short Life Working Group on Infant Mental Health is investigating best practices for the promotion of mental health in infancy and the early years.

The Working Group includes representatives from service providers to infants and their parents as well as workers from Scottish charities The Scottish Institute for Human Relations, Children in Scotland, Children 1st and Aberlour Childcare Trust.

The research is being led Dr. Christine Puckering, Senior consultant in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Glasgow's Royal Hospital for Sick Children. "The scope of the work is much broader than just illness," says Dr. Puckering. "We're interested in what can be done to promote the mental health and the physical, social, emotional and cognitive development of all babies."

Accordingly, the 'first base' for the Group's enquiries is in Midwifery, Public Health Nursing and in universal health services such as GP doctors. Contact has been made with noteworthy projects in Scotland, other parts of the UK and in the U.S.A. and Canada.

Among others, account is being taken of:

- the multidisciplinary approach being used currently in Coatbridge's "Investing in Infants" project
- the Sunderland Infant Mental Health Project- the "Solihull Project" learning resource pack for Public Health Nurses and other care professionals
- Dr Puckering's own 'Mellow Babies' research project (winner of a Small Research Projects grant).

While the research is still in its early stages, preliminary enquiries have identified what Dr. Puckering calls a 'groundswell of opinion' concerning information for parents. "It seems there's a real need for information resources that are bright, attractive and produced in media that are easily accessible to everyone."

However, it’s not just about what parents can or should be do. "We're also considering what information and training is needed for practitioners – people who are first-line contacts like Public Health Nurses, Social Workers and GP's."

The research is also re-enforcing the view that there is a need for multi-agency work in recognising difficulties and providing help and support to overcome them.

An interim report is expected in February with the final report being completed by the end of May 2006. Both will be made available via the website of HeadsUpScotland and this site's Publications section.

Submissions will be welcomed from anyone with an interest in the promotion of positive mental health in infancy.

For more information or to make a submission to the Working Group, please email Dr. Christine Puckering