Nursery World - Research funding for infant therapy

A world-class centre for psychoanalytic child therapy in London has been awarded more than 200,000 from a lottery fund to carry out research into the effects of childbirth on mothers who are experiencing mental health problems. The newly-formed UK-wide Big Lottery Fund announced the award last week as part of its medical research grants programme.

The newly-formed UK-wide Big Lottery Fund announced the award last week as part of its medical research grants programme.

Peter Fonagy, chief executive of the Anna Freud Centre in Hampstead, London, said that the research will test whether 'parent-infant psychotherapy is more effective in supporting infant development than an intervention focusing just on a parent'.

Children under 18 months old who have one or more parents suffering from mental ill-health will be offered family psychotherapy sessions alongside counselling sessions for parents. Researchers will then evaluate the benefits of parent-infant psychotherapy for both mothers and infants.

The research follows evidence that psychological disorders suffered by new mothers impact on the future mental health of their children.

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