Poster #63 - The Reminiscing and Emotion Training Intervention and the Prevention of Child Welfare Reinvolvement

• In Event: Poster Session 07

Abstract

Child maltreatment is a pathogenic relational experience that creates risk for physical and psychological health difficulties throughout the lifespan (Cicchetti & Valentino, 2006). The Reminiscing and Emotion Training intervention (RET; MASKED) was developed to support maltreated children’s healthy development through improving parenting behavior among maltreating mothers. Evidence suggests that RET increases mothers’ sensitive and emotionally supportive behavior (i.e., sensitive guidance) during conversations with their children about emotions (MASKED), and, one year later, increases children’s emotional adjustment (MASKED) and diurnal cortisol regulation (MASKED). Here, we evaluated whether RET is associated with reductions in child welfare reinvolvement.

The sample included 165 maltreating and 83 nonmaltreating mothers and their 3- to 6-year-old children who were enrolled in a longitudinal randomized controlled trial of RET. Maltreating mothers were recruited through the Department of Child Services (DCS) and named as the perpetrator of at least one substantiated instance of child maltreatment. Nonmaltreating mothers were recruited from community locations that served low-income families.

All dyads completed a baseline assessment (T1). Maltreating dyads were randomized to receive RET or an active control condition (Community Standard [CS]). Nonmaltreating dyads were a separate control group (Nonmaltreating Control [NC]). RET comprised of six weekly, in-home training sessions aimed to improve mothers’ sensitivity and elaboration during conversations with children about past, shared emotional events. CS dyads received enhanced case management services and written parenting materials. Post-intervention, dyads completed another assessment (T2). At T1 and T2, mothers were asked to discuss past, shared emotional events with their child; conversations were coded for mothers’ sensitive guidance (Koren-Karie et al., 2003). In 2022, DCS records were assessed for dyads’ frequency of DCS assessments and substantiations during the two years post study enrollment (all windows preceded the COVID-19 pandemic).

Across two years, 26.8% of CS dyads, 43.4% of RET dyads, and 74.7% of NC dyads had no DCS involvement (assessments or substantiations). Furthermore, 73.2% of CS dyads, 77.1% of RET dyads, and 95.2% of NC dyads had no substantiations. Comparing CS and RET dyads, there was a significant effect of RET on frequency of DCS assessments, F(1,163) = 4.09, p < .05, but not on substantiations, F(1, 163) = 0.53, p = .46. Maltreating dyads with no new substantiations over two years (n = 124) and maltreating dyads with at least one new substantiation (n = 41) differed in terms of mothers’ age (t(163) = 2.50, p < .05) and sensitive guidance at T2 (t(144) = 2.39, p < .05). Maltreating mothers with no new substantiations were older (M = 30.17 years, SD = 5.62) and engaged in more sensitive guidance at T2 (M = 5.39, SD = 1.02) than mothers with at least one new substantiation (M = 27.80 years, SD = 3.98; M = 4.92, SD = 1.05); differences remained significant after controlling for the intervention. These two groups did not differ in terms of frequency of DCS involvement prior to enrollment, family income, children’s age or gender, mothers’ race, marital status, education, sensitive guidance at T1, and depression at T1 or T2.

Authors

• Katherine Edler, University of Notre Dame
  Presenting Author

• Brigid M Behrens, University of Notre Dame

• Karen Jacques, Virginia Tech

• Kristin Valentino, University of Notre Dame