Child Maltreatment
Conditions
Brief summary
The current protocol aims to examine the effects of a computer-based intervention used in conjunction with existing Healthy Families America (HFA) home visitation programs on the challenges related to participant enrollment, retention, and motivation as well as parent and child outcomes.
Detailed description
The present study aims to determine whether a computer-based intervention can provide augmentation of home visiting services to decrease the risk of child maltreatment. The computer-based software includes modules on motivation, Cognitive Retraining, and elements of the ecobehavioral SafeCare approach. A total of 420 mother-infant dyads from four Healthy Families America (HFA) sites will be randomly assigned to either treatment as usual, software-supplemented home visitation, or community control conditions. For families in the software-supplemented condition, home visitors will present the software to parents via a Tablet PC during regular home visits. All parents will be followed-up at 6, 12, and 18 months by independent and blinded research assistants. Parents are evaluated for maltreatment and maltreatment risks as measured by self-report, home visitor report, blinded independent observers, and statewide CPS data. If validated, the proposed intervention can provide augmentation of home visiting services with unprecedented ease of dissemination, at negligible additional cost, and with limitless potential for further development.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALComputer Assisted Healthy Families America Home Visitation
Computer modules added to home visitation protocol for Healthy Families America
BEHAVIORALHealthy Families America Home Visitation
Healthy Families America Home Visitation Treatment as Usual
Sponsors
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
Pregnant or post-partum mothers who are eligible (i.e., score 25 or greater on the Kempe Family Stress Checklist and are not involved in CPS open case investigation at the time of HFA participation) and willing to participate in the HFA program are eligible to participate in the current study, with the following restrictions: 1. Mothers must be 18 years or older and able to complete the baseline assessment within 4 weeks of delivery. 2. Mothers have not completed any prior post-partum treatment plan. 3. Participants must have functional cognitive abilities. 4. Premature infants have to be released from hospital care within 6 weeks of birth. 5. Participants must be able to communicate in English.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Child maltreatment reports | 18 months |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed