Macdonald, Elspeth, Mohay, Heather, Sorensen, Debra, Alcorn , Neil, McDermott, Brett, Lee, Erica, and Mater CYMHS Infant Mental Health Steering Committee (2005) Current delivery of infant mental health services: are infant mental health needs being met? Australasian Psychiatry, 13 (4). pp. 393-398.

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Abstract

Objective: To identify services supporting the well-being of infants and their families in an area of South Brisbane, Australia, highlight problems of accessing these services and recommend strategies to make them more readily available.

Method: Semistructured interviews were conducted with staff from 18 service providers offering antenatal services, or programmes primarily focused on children under the age of 2 years and/or their families. The interview aimed to identify the precise nature of the services offered, problems encountered in providing those services, perceived gaps in services and potential strategies for improvement.

Results: Services were diverse, provided by a range of different professionals, in varying locations (home, community, hospital) and with funding from various sources. The major findings were:(i) the fragmentation of services, lack of communication between them, and lack of continuity in services from one stage of family formation to another; (ii) the shortage of services working with the parents and infant together; and (iii) the difficulty ofproviding services for some at-risk populations.

Conclusions: Recommendations included: (i) maintaining a range of different services networked through a centralized resource/referral centre; (ii) expandingjoint mother–infant services and providing training for such services; and (iii) supporting outreach services for difficult to engage populations.

Item ID:	44599
Item Type:	Article (Research - C1)
ISSN:	1440-1665
Keywords:	infancy, infant mental health, mother–infant services, service delivery
Additional Information:	Members of the Mater CYMHS Infant Mental Health Steering Committee: Janet Rhind, Sue Wilson, Kim Woolcock.
Date Deposited:	20 Jul 2016 02:08
FoR Codes:	11 MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES > 1199 Other Medical and Health Sciences > 119999 Medical and Health Sciences not elsewhere classified @ 100%
SEO Codes:	92 HEALTH > 9201 Clinical Health (Organs, Diseases and Abnormal Conditions) > 920111 Nervous System and Disorders @ 100%
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