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Welcome

Welcome to the Association for Infant Mental Health AIMH (UK), an autonomous body affiliated to the World Association for Infant Mental Health (WAIMH). Infant mental health is the study of mental health as it applies to infants and their families. The field investigates optimal social and emotional development of infants and their families in the first three years of life.

Infant mental health is one of the most exciting and rapidly developing areas in the whole field of mental health. Research has shown that support for parents during their baby's first year can significantly increase the proportion of babies who form secure relationships with their parents, and this has lasting benefits for their subsequent development. A good beginning for young families is a protective factor in coping with life's inevitable stresses. Early intervention when there are difficulties can often prevent the development of mental health problems in later years.

Please visit the 'Member Benefits' page to view the benefits of becoming a member.

DOWNLOAD NEW MEMBER APPLICATION FORM HERE      DOWNLOAD MEMBER RENEWAL FORM HERE

AIMH (UK) offer Children's Centres a special discounted membership rate. Download information here.

For Corporate Membership rates, please contact info@aimh.org.uk

Student concession rates are also available (subject to eligibility) - contact the Administrator for further information. info@aimh.org.uk

CHANGE OF DETAILS - In recognition of the Bank Holidy weekend the AIMH (UK) SYMPOSIUM, is to be held on one day only

SATURDAY 25 MAY 2013, CENTRAL LONDON

Beatrice Beebe Ph.D, Clinical Professor of Medical Psychology (in Psychiatry), College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, USA. It is with great delight that we are able to host this symposium. Beatrice Beebe is one of the foremost researchers and clinicians currently working in the field of psychoanalysis. Her work spans the fields of infant mental health and adult psychotherapy, and this symposium will provide practitioners with the opportunity to hear her recent findings about patterns of parent-infant interaction and their implications for disorganized attachment, alongside the implications of this new research in terms of adult treatment, using case material.

This is a unique opportunity to meet Beatrice Beebe, to hear about her latest work, and to join with colleagues for a pre-dinner poetry reading by Professor Edward McCrorie (poet and classicist translator of Homer and Virgil and Beatrice’s husband) and the Symposium dinner on the Saturday evening. Click here to to view video of Beatrice talking on mother/baby communication

ALL INFORMATION/APPLICATION FORM/BOOKINGS PLEASE CLICK ON 'SYMPOSIUM 13', any enquiries to info@aimh.org.uk

Recent articles

 

WAVE Trust - Tackling the Roots of Disadvantage
Conception to Age 2 - the age of opportunity. Addendum to the Government's vision for the Foundation Years 'Supporting Families in the Foundation Years'. The focus of this report is the period from conception to the child's second birthday. As well as drawing on the knowledge and experience of the 0-2 Special Group, a major part of the work was drawing together external knowledge and research evidence of experience and investment in the earliest months of life. The report highlights issues for 0-2's for the attention of two main groups: service commissioners and desicion-makers.
 

Back to Facing the Future: An audit of standards for acute paediatric care, a RCPCH Publication
Published in April 2013, this document reports on the audit of Facing the Future Standards conducted in Summer/Autumn 2012. It provides recommendations for taking forward the findings of the Audit, both by the RCPCH and paediatric service providers.....
 

Children's Emotional Development is Built into the Architecture of Their Brains
A growing body of scientific evidence demonstrates that emotional development begins early in life and is closely connected with the emergence of cognitive, language, and social skills. Early emotional development lays the foundation for later academic performance, mental health, and the capacity to form successful relationships.....

National Scientific Council on the Developing Child (2004). Children’s Emotional Development Is Built into the Architecture of Their Brains: Working Paper No. 2. http://www.developingchild.net © 2004, National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University
 

Establishing a Level Foundation for Life: Mental Health begins in Early Childhood
The National Scientific Council on the Developing Child is a multidisciplinary, multi-university collaboration designed to bring the science of early childhood and early brain development to bear on public decision-making. Established in 2003, the Council is committed to an evidence-based approach to building broad-based public will that transcends political partisanship and recognizes the complementary responsibilities of family, community, workplace, and government to promote the well-being of all young children. For more information, go to www.developingchild.net.

Please note: The content of this paper is the sole responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the opinions of the funders or partners.

National Scientific Council on the Developing Child. (2008/2012). Establishing a Level Foundation for Life: Mental Health Begins in Early Childhood: Working Paper 6. Updated Edition. http://www.developingchild.harvard.edu © 2008, 2012, National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University
 

Dept for Education: Drop Plans to Increase Child to Adult Ratios
It is expected that the government will shortly announce plans to increase the number of children that an individual adult can look after both in childminding and group care settings.  Although details are not yet known, newspaper reports suggest that this could almost double the number of children currently allowed. Whatever the actual details are, any increase in the numbers of children each adult can care for, could lead to some childcare providers taking on more children  without increasing the number of adults caring for the children, or some keeping the same number of children as now but reducing the number of adults caring for the children. Click on link above to sign petition.
 

Maternal Emotional Wellbeing and Infant Development- The Royal College of Midwives, November 2012
A Good Practice Guide for Midwives - 

The importance of new mothers understanding and responding to their baby’s feelings is crucial to their wellbeing and development. Although mothers are biologically programmed to respond to their baby, midwives are in a unique position to provide an enabling environment for this to take place. Supporting a woman through pregnancy, birth and the early postnatal period offers many opportunities for midwives to explore attitudes and hopes for their future parenting experience. This guide provides midwives with evidence based information and practical guidance to support early mother baby relationships.

 

C4EO Highlighting Research, December 2012

This paper identifies three important recently published pieces of research. The approaches and interventions highlighted have the potential to prevent the escalation of early presenting and serious issues.

Each piece of research is summarised, highlighting the key messages as well as exploring key issues through a series of implementation questions, for managers and practitioners. They are supplemented  with  relevant  examples  of  C4EO’s  validated  local  practice  where  outcomes for vulnerable children and families have been improved.....

 

Professional and Research: Peer Reviewed..Interventions to support early relationships: mechanisms identified within infant massage programmes
Community Practitioner, April 2011, Volume 84, No 4. Angela Underdown PhD, MSc, BEd, HV, RGN, Associate Professor of Public Health in the Early Years, Wariwck Medical School, University of Warwick, Jane Barlow DPhil, FFPH, Professor of Public Health in the Early Years, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick
 

Securing Standards, Sustaining Success: Report on Early Intervention
National Education Trust's (NET) Report on Early Intervention, Louise Jackson, March 2012. NET is funded by the Department for Education to develop Early Years Networks of Children's Centre Leaders. Through NET's training programme they have gathered the views of professionals from 91 centres and can provide an overview of early intervention delivered to children under 5 and their families. This report summarises the learning from the first phase of the project.......
 

An Equal Start: Improving Outcomes in Children's Centres
Today the UCL Institute of Health Equity IHE has launched an outcomes framework for children's centres, which calls for a renewed focus on supporting good parenting and the environment in which parents live and work. It builds on existing frameworks and draws the best available evidence of what is important in early years, the views of practitioners and parents, and the work that government continues to take forward around the early years. Written by Anne Pordes Bowers and Jason Strelitz with Jessica Allen and Angela Donkin. Funded by 4Children
 

Rethinking Child Poverty
A policy paper by the Centre for Social Justice, May 2012. This short paper argues that the current measure of child poverty is inaccurate. It fails to acknowledge that poverty is about much more than a lack of income........
 

AIMH UK NICE Guidance response
AIMH UK's response to NICE Guidance on social and emotional wellbeing - early years. An overview of the guidance can be accessed here.
 

The Munro Review of Child Protection: Progress Report: Moving Towards a Child Centred System
Professor Eileen Munro - 1 May 2012. This review made recommendations that will, together, help to create a work environment  that will better support professionals in giving children and young people the help they need. This report considers how well implementation of these recommendations has progressed in the year since the reviews's publication, and how the child protection landscape as a whole is changing.......
 

Expansion of the entitlement to free education for disadvantaged two year olds
The Children's Improvement Board (CIB) commissioned the Centre for Excellence and Outcomes in Children's and Young People's Services (C4EO) to identify lessons from the trial areas, which are testing approaches to expanding the entitlement to free early years education for disadvantaged two year olds.......
 

WAIMH 12th World Congress, Leipzig, Germany, June/July 2010 Programme Abstracts
Editors: Hiram E. Fitzgerald. Ryan McGreal-Miller. Dolores K. Fitzgerald
 

WAIMH 13th World Congress IMHJ Supplement to Volume 33, Issue 3, Program Abstracts WAIMH Biennial World Congress, Cape Town, South Africa
Editors: Kaija Puura, M.D. Ph.D., Finland. Mark Tomlinson, Ph.D., South Africa. Neil W. Boris, M.D., USA. Minna Sorsa, MNSc, Finland.
 

Making it Happen - Overcoming Barriers to Providing Infant Early Childhood Mental Health


ZERO TO THREE- Authors: Julie Cohen, Associate Director Zero to Three Policy Center; Cindy Oser, Senior Policy Analyst, Zero to Three Policy Center; Kelsey Quigley, Federal Policy Analyst, Zero to Three Policy Center, April 2012
 

National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, Public Health Draft Guidance
This guidance aims to define how the social and emotional wellbeing of vulnerable children aged under 5 years can be effectively supported through home visiting, childcare and early education.
 

The Enemy Within - Report written and published by 4Children, March 2012
Up to 75% of children on child protection orders in some areas are on the registers at least in part because of concerns over domestic violence in the family. Children are overwhelmingly the victims: 950,000 children are affected by domestic violence, either directly as victims of violence, or indirectly in terms of witnessing violence. Not only does it have a psychological and emotional impact on children, but new research shows that it also has an impact on childrens brain development..........
 

A Model for Early Years Support Work with Families and Children with Additional Needs in Tajakistan
Spring Update 2012, HealthProms new Report sets out an alternative to institutional care for babies and young people in Tajikistan. This follows two years of innovative work in partnership with the European Union.........
 
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