ATU Mayo hosts event for infant mental health

An event by Mayo Infant Mental Health Forum (IMHF) discussing infant mental health, took in 145 guests.

Mayo Infant Mental Health Forum (IMHF) coordinated the event in association with the Early and Active Year's subgroup of Mayo Children’s and Young People's Service Committee.

The event took place at the Atlantic Technological University last week and saw attendees from various different health professions.

The main topic of the event is what has been happening in Mayo in regards to infant mental health.

Those in attendance ranged from clinicians, managers and providers of services to parents and children in the 0-3 years age cohort, from HSE, Tusla and Mayo University Hospital.

All the guests were curious to hear more about the social and emotional development of our infants, which develops within the context of the parent infant relationship.

The event saw many presentations including updates on Mayo IMHF’s journey to date and the key activities such as Mayo Baby Week June 2023, and the development of a Mayo Infant Mental Health network.

Mayo Baby week will run again this year June 10 -16 and will coincide with celebrating International Infant Mental Health Awareness Week. 

The week will have a community focus for parents and families as well as a service provider focus. 

Mayo Infant Mental network meets monthly and provides a network of support for clinicians and support workers to further develop their understanding of IMH. 

In essence, it is building the capacity for services providers to meet parents where they are at, to build trust, compassion and an ability to sit with uncertainty, ultimately empowering and supporting parents to meet their children’s needs.

Attendees of the recent event were introduced to the Preparing for Life Programme, currently being piloted by Tusla Family Support Service in Mayo. 

The home visit programme starts in the antenatal phases and lasts until the child enters primary school.

The programme originated in Darndale in Dublin, and research carried out by University College Dublin found the families and children of this programme have had life lasting benefits to their overall wellbeing and development. 

Attendees also heard about the Circle of Security, attachment based parenting programme, and evaluation of the groups that have been delivered across the county from HSE and Tusla so far. 

The feedback from the parents who participated in the programme was ‘powerful’.  

Attending parents found the programme very useful, and wished they could have availed of the programme earlier as it had strengthened their capacity as parents through a reflective and compassionate approach. 

A highlight of the morning was the Building the Brain Architecture Game, in which attendees engaged in a table-top game in order to gain a compelling perspective on the powerful role of experiences on early brain development – what promotes it, what derails it, and with what consequences for society. 

The event was engaging and enthusiastic and continued collaborative efforts to raise awareness about IMH and supporting front line workers with children and families in early year’s services to bring an IMH lens to practice.