The Mothering Study

1. The Mothering Study N Letourneau PhD RN K Young MPhil T Cluney BN Student Child Health Intervention and Longitudinal Development (CHILD) Studies Program Supporting Mother-Infant Relationships Affected by Intimate Partner Violence

2. Director Women in Transition Julie Gallant Youth in Transition Claudette Landry NB Department of Health Sheila Profit Cape Breton University Evelyn Kennedy Cape Breton University Liz Lautard Liberty Lane Inc. Christine LeBlanc VON Healthy Baby & Me Amanda Lawson Moncton Headstart Lyn Barrett NS Transition Hose Assoc. Barbara Clow Atlantic Centre of Excellence for Women’s Health Anne Darrah Fredericton Early Intervention Steven Fletcher River Valley Health Elizabeth Godbout River Valley Health Director PEI Transition House Assoc. Community Researchers The Mothering Study

3. NicoleLetourneau University of New Brunswick Kimberly Critchley University of Prince Edward Island Julia Campbell University of Prince Edward Island Carmen Gill Muriel McQueen Fergusson Center for Family Violence Doug Willms University of New Brunswick Jean Hughes Dalhousie University Loretta Secco Cape Breton University Miriam Stewart University of Alberta Academic Researchers The Mothering Study

4. Intimate Partner Violence The Mothering Study

5. Violence and Child Health • Exposure to family violence is linked with severe psychological and behavioural effects on children in later life • The effects of violence on children may be directly related to their lack of an emotionally safe and secure environment • No research to date has looked at the effects of exposure to violence on infants or mother-child relationships The Mothering Study

6. Pathways to Resiliency The good news…. The Mothering Study

7. Pathways to Resiliency Not all children are negatively affected by exposure to violence Some mothers that experience domestic violence may be more sensitive and responsive to their children’s needs, compensating for the negative effects of violence (Levendosky 2003; Wuest 2004) The Mothering Study

8. Pathways to Resiliency • Mothers of children exposed to domestic violence provide more positive forms of parenting over time than mothers not exposed to violence • This heightened sensitivity and responsiveness may be a key to the successful development of some children exposed to IPV The Mothering Study

9. Pathways to Resiliency The Mothering Study

10. Policy Relevance Policy makers internationally, from across Canada, and within the Maritime Provinces are calling for increased support to parents and families, especially in light of early childhood needs. The Mothering Study

11. Policy Relevance • WHO Report on Violence and Health • National Children’s Agenda • Federal/Provincial/Territorial Early Childhood Development Agreement • Family Violence Initiative, NS • Our Children: Today’s Investment Tomorrow’s Promise, PEI • Our Children: A Strategy for Healthy Child Development,PEI • Greater Opportunities for New Brunswick Children: An Early Childhood Development Agenda • New Brunswick Minister’s Working Group on Violence Against Women The Mothering Study

12. Implications for FAS Support & Prevention • Experiencing partner violence places women at greater risk of abusing drugs and/or alcohol • Substance abuse treatment may not be as effective if violence issues are not addressed • Violence is often hidden The Mothering Study

13. Research Questions • What is the impact of IPV on mother-infant relationships? • What is the association between mother-infant relationships and infant development in families affected b IPV? • What are (a) the support needs, (b) support resources, (c) barriers to support, and (d) preferences for support intervention to promote mother-infant relationships affected by IPV? The Mothering Study

14. Research Methods • Community based, multi-site exploratory descriptive study • Sites in PEI, NB, and NS (Cape Breton & mainland) • Quantitative and qualitative data from mother infant pairs previously exposed to violence • Qualitative data from Service Providers • Sample size • A total of 82 mother infant pairs are needed to support quantitative findings • 10-20 service providers are needed in each province The Mothering Study

15. Qualitative Interviews • Mothers will be asked to talk about • How they think the violence affected themselves, their child, and their relationship with their child • What kinds of services they used, and how they think services could be improved The Mothering Study

16. Qualitative Interviews • Services Providers will be asked about • The impact of partner violence on mother-child relationships and child development • The support needs of women and children affected by violence • Perceived feasibility of support interventions The Mothering Study

17. Quantitative Measures • Mothers will be asked to complete a number of assessments looking at • Child development • Parent child relationship quality • The family environment • Other known parenting/life stressors The Mothering Study

18. Quantitative Measures • Nursing Child Assessment Teaching Scale (NCATS) • Ages and Stages questionnaires • Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CESD) • Social Provisions Scale (SPS) • Family Functioning Scale (FFS) • Difficult Life Circumstances Scale (DLC) • Infant Characteristics Questionnaire (ICQ) • Parenting Scale • Motor and Social Development Scale (MSD) • Demographic Information The Mothering Study

19. Special Considerations • The Cycle of Violence • Long term implications of a violent relationship • Mothers’ needs for support • Mothers’ safety needs • Training The Mothering Study

20. Ethical approval has been received at one of the four research sites The pilot phase of the mother interviews has been completed (n = 3) Interviewers for each province have been trained Research Progress The Mothering Study

21. Research Progress • Service provider pilot interviews are beginning in New Brunswick • Participant recruitment has begun in New Brunswick and is ongoing in Prince Edward Island • Data collection in all three provinces is anticipated to be completed by the summer of 2008 The Mothering Study

22. Research Assistant Training • Training Manual • Training session held August 17, 2006 • Research Assistants from NS, PEI, and NB participated in a variety of group, role-playing and hands on learning activities The Mothering Study

23. Research Assistant Training • Training session topics • Research Objectives • Site Protocols • Safety and Sensitivity Protocols • Data Collection • Audio & Video Equipment Use The Mothering Study

24. Recruitment • Service providers • Community Research Team members • Service agencies used to recruit mother-infant pairs • Participants • Recruitment efforts in both focused areas and the general population The Mothering Study

25. Participant Recruitment • Targeted Approaches • Agencies that target violence/at-risk families • Liberty Lane Second Stage Housing • VON Healthy Baby and Me • Chrysalis House for Youth in Transition • Coalition of Transition Houses • Center of Excellence in Women’s Health • Family Violence Outreach Program • Dept. of Health and Social Service • Other ideas? The Mothering Study

26. Participant Recruitment • Universal Approaches • Public Service Announcements • Paid Newspaper Ads • Candy Cards • Other ideas? The Mothering Study

27. Candy Cards The Mothering Study

28. Acknowledgements • Canadian Institutes for Health Research • Muriel McQueen Fergusson Center for Family Violence Research • M. Merritt-Gray, J. Wuest, K. White (UNB) The Mothering Study