Efficacy of Group Attachment Based Intervention for Vulnerable Families

• Change from baseline in child exposure to trauma and maltreatment to end-of-treatment and at 6-month follow-up (Child Adverse Childhood Experiences Screener) [ Time Frame: Measured at Baseline, End-of-Treatment (12 Weeks for Control/26 Weeks for Intervention), and at 6-Month Follow-up ] [ Designated as safety issue: Yes ]
  

• Child cognitive development (Bayley III Screening Test) [ Time Frame: Measured at Baseline, End-of-Treatment (12 Weeks for Control/26 Weeks for Intervention), and at 6-Month Follow-Up ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  
• Parent mental health (Symptoms Checklist-90) [ Time Frame: Measured at Baseline, End-of-Treatment (12 Weeks for Control/26 Weeks for Intervention), and at 6-Month Follow-Up ] [ Designated as safety issue: Yes ]
  
• Child social-emotional development (Ages and Stages Questionnaire) [ Time Frame: Measured at Baseline, End-of-Treatment (12 Weeks for Control/26 Weeks for Intervention), and at 6-Month Follow-Up ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  
• Parent social support (Interpersonal Support Evaluation List) [ Time Frame: Measured at Baseline, End-of-Treatment (12 Weeks for Control/26 Weeks for Intervention), and at 6-Month Follow-Up ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  
• Parenting stress (Parenting Stress Index) [ Time Frame: Measured at Baseline, End-of-Treatment (12 Weeks for Control/26 Weeks for Intervention), and at 6-Month Follow-Up ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  
• Child-parent attachment (Strange Situation Procedure/Parent-Infant Relationship Global Assessment) [ Time Frame: Measured at Baseline, End-of-Treatment (12 Weeks for Control/26 Weeks for Intervention, and at 6-Month Follow-Up ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  

Child abuse and neglect ("maltreatment") pose enormous short- and long-term risks to children. Yet despite the critical importance of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Maternal and Child Health Bureau's goal "to reduce fatal and non-fatal child maltreatment," non-empirically supported parenting skills classes remain child welfare agencies' standard approach to meeting this goal.

The study examines the effectiveness of parent-child Group Attachment Based Intervention (GABI) in reducing risk of maltreatment in infants and toddlers compared with parenting skills classes. GABI directly addresses the needs of isolated, marginalized families, with the goals of of enhancing parent coping and resilience, and improving parent-child attachment relationships.

One hundred families with children aged 2-36 months who are referred for parenting help will be randomly assigned to either GABI or "treatment as usual" that consists of parents-only parenting skills classes. Treatment will be offered for up to 6 months. Both groups will be assessed at baseline, end of treatment and at 6 months follow up.