Video-feedback intervention to improve parental sensitivity and the quality of interactions in mother-father-infant triads

Abstract

The quality of dyadic and triadic family interactions during early childhood significantly influences social-emotional development and childhood mental health. Video feedback is a valuable psychotherapeutic tool for intervention in the early family. A brief intervention using this technique, aimed at mother-infant-father triads with difficulties in social-emotional development, was developed. Eighty triads, composed of heterosexual couples between 20 and 43 years of age for mothers, between 22 and 54 years of age for fathers, and between one and three years of age for children, participated. The results show a significant increase in the quality of triadic interactions (Wilks'λ = 0.735, F (1, 77) = 27,794; p < 0.000) and co-parenting (Wilks'λ = 0.098, F (1, 77) = 8.395; p = 0.005) as well as parental sensitivity (Wilks'λ = 0.661, F (1, 77) = 39.42; p < 0.000) and sensitivity in the mothers (Wilks'λ = 0.585, F (1, 77) = 54,706, p < 0.000) who were the object of the intervention. The fathers significantly reduced their nonresponsive behavior (Wilks 'λ = 0.903, F (1, 77) = 8.441; p = 0.005), and the mothers reduced their controlling behavior (Wilks' λ = 0.916, F (1, 77) = 7.084; p = 0.009). MeSh Headings/

Is it possible to improve early childhood development with a video-feedback intervention directed at the mother-father-child triad?

“…In addition, improvements in the quality of triadic interactions during the first years of life have been associated with adequate child social development (Leidy et al, 2013;Raikes & Thompson, 2006;Teubert & Pinquart, 2010), which may also contribute to the development of communication skills in children. This is consistent with a previous study which reported that the EG from this sample improved their triadic interaction quality (Olhaberry et al, 2017). Therefore, fathers and mothers who can establish cooperative relationships that promote participation in a warm affective environment may promote childhood development.…”

“…Families who met the criteria and were willing to participate in the study gave their informed consent, after which a home visit was arranged for data collection. Then, the first assessment session was video-recorded to measure the quality of triadic interactions using LTP (Fivaz-Depeursingue & Corboz-Warnery, 1999) and dyadic interactions using CARE-Index (Crittenden, 2006; see results in Olhaberry et al, 2017), and scales and questions were completed. All couples completed the questionnaires together.…”

“…This technique has been used in Chile with mother-infant dyads exhibiting depressive symptoms, demonstrating improvements in caregivers' sensitivity to the child's needs (Olhaberry, León, Seguel, & Mena, 2015), in dyads of low-income multiproblem families (Delucchi, Quinteros, Muzzio, & Álvarez, 2009), as well as in triads where video-feedback interventions show favorable results on parental sensitivity and the quality of triadic interactions (Olhaberry et al, 2017).…”

“…Forty were assigned to the experimental group (EG) and were assessed before and after receiving a video-feedback intervention. The remaining forty families were assigned to the control group (CG) and received the video feedback intervention after being assessed twice, with a gap of approximately 5 weeks between assessments (see the study flowchart in Olhaberry et al, 2017).…”

“…An accredited clinical supervisor, trained in the use of video-feedback, Video-feedback Intervention to promote Positive Parenting and Sensitive Discipline (Juffer, Bakermans-Kranenburg, & van IJzendoorn, 2008) and two clinical psychologists who were also trained in the same technique supervised the team's clinical work. The diagram obtained from the larger study presents the procedure followed for the sessions: it is available from Olhaberry et al (2017).…”