Proof of concept of a smartphone app to support delivery of an intervention to facilitate mothers’ mind-mindedness

Abstract

The present study reports on the first evaluation of a parenting intervention utilizing a smartphone app, BabyMind. The intervention aimed to facilitate mothers’ mind-mindedness —attunement to their infants’ internal states. Mothers in the intervention group ( n = 90) used the BabyMind app from their infants’ births and were followed up at age 6 months ( n = 66). Mothers in the control group ( n = 151) were recruited when their infants were age 6 months and had never used the BabyMind app. Mind-mindedness when interacting with their infants was significantly higher in intervention group mothers than in control group mothers. The intervention was equally effective in facilitating mind-mindedness in young and older mothers. These findings are discussed in terms of the potential for interventions utilizing smartphone apps to improve parenting and children’s developmental outcome in vulnerable and hard-to-reach groups.

Mind-Mindedness and Parenting Stress: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Cohort of Mothers of 3-Month-Old Full-Term and Preterm Infants

“…Thus, parenting stress should be considered in the follow-up routines as a crucial risk factor, especially for PT mother–infant dyads. Furthermore, since maternal mind-mindedness is crucial for child development, interventions focused on improving this aspect of maternal interaction should be promoted to prevent future delays in infants and children [ 67 , 68 ].…”

The relationship between digital media use during pregnancy, maternal psychological wellbeing, and maternal-fetal attachment

“…Further research should consider multiple online forums for recruitment. A further limitation is that the developed digital media questionnaire, although informed from questions used in other studies [ 13 , 36 ], was not validated by consumers.…”

“…These studies suggest that being able to visualize one’s fetus, either through an ultrasound or through digital media, may be associated with higher levels of MFA. Recent research suggests that the use of smartphone apps may increase a mother’s capacity for ‘mind-mindedness’, which may predict secure infant-caregiver attachment [ 36 ], indicating that the use of digital media may have positive consequences for the mother, child, and their developing relationship.…”

Mind‐mindedness versus mentalistic interpretations of behavior: Is mind‐mindedness a relational construct?

“…With regard to maternal mind‐mindedness specifically, although child characteristics such as infant temperament (Larkin, Oostenbroek, Lee, Hayward, & Meins, 2019; Meins, Fernyhough, Arnott, Leekam, & Turner, 2011) and the diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disorders (Kirk & Sharma, 2017; Larkin, Hayiou‐Thomas, Arshad, Leonard, & Meins, 2020) have not been found to relate to maternal mind‐mindedness, associations with certain parent characteristics have been reported. For example, lower levels of mind‐mindedness are associated with young motherhood (Demers, Bernier, Tarabulsy, & Provost, 2010), depressive symptoms (Bigelow et al., 2018), severe mental illness (Pawlby et al., 2010; Schacht et al., 2017), trauma exposure (Easterbrooks, Crossman, Caruso, Raskin, & Miranda‐Julian, 2017), parenting stress (McMahon & Meins, 2012; Walker, Wheatcroft, & Camic, 2012), and poorer executive functioning (Yatziv, Kessler, & Atzaba‐Poria, 2018).…”