Une intervention pour promouvoir des relations optimales et la santé des parents et des enfants Résultats du programme « Attachment and Child Health» (ATTACH™) pour les familles confrontées à des vulnérabilités

Promoting optimal relationships and the health of parents and children: Findings of the Attachment and Child Health (ATTACH™) program for families experiencing vulnerabilities – Context: Mentalization, or reflective functioning (RF), involves having insight into one’s own and another person’s thoughts, feelings, intentions, and mental states. Being more reflective as a parent (parental reflective functioning – PRF) is a predictor of healthier parent-child relationships, which in turn are linked to more optimal child health and development. Interventions targeting PRF, such as the Attachment and Child Health (ATTACH™) program, may be effective for families and children vulnerable to the negative impacts of toxic stress (e.g., depression, violence, poverty). The aim of this paper is to summarize and describe the results of seven pilot studies conducted on ATTACH™. Methods: ATTACH™ is a 10-to-12-week program in which a trained facilitator supports PRF capacity. A pragmatic approach was employed, using the Innovate, Develop, Evaluate, Adapt, and Scale (IDEAS) Impact Framework to develop, adapt, and test the intervention. Results: Parents receiving ATTACH™ had improved PRF, perceptions of social support, and executive function. Parent-child relationships improved, as did their immune cell gene expression, linked to downregulation of inflammation. The children’s behavior, sleep, and communication development improved, as did their personal-social, problem-solving, and fine motor skills. Conclusions: ATTACH™ is a short program that targets PRF and improves attachment and parent-child interaction, child health and development. ATTACH™ is currently being adapted to other languages, spread globally, and tested via an online platform using Zoom™ to increase accessibility.