Edge Hill University
Arts Therapies Approaches to Supporting Parent-Infant Relationships: Developing a Creative Intervention Toolkit
The first 1001 days of life, from conception to age two, represent a critical period of rapid growth during which the foundations for lifelong health and development are established (HM Government, 2021). Good-quality parent-infant relationships are associated with positive physical and mental health outcomes, as well as long-term social and economic wellbeing (HM Government, 2022). While most infants receive responsive and nurturing care, a minority do not experience the relational quality required for healthy development (Van IJzendoorn et al., 1999). Poor early relationships may have lasting consequences for physical and mental health across the life course (Van IJzendoorn et al., 1999).
This research explores how arts therapies approaches support parent-infant relationships. It aims to create a practical, evidence-informed intervention toolkit that draws on creative modalities to support responsive caregiving. The study adopts a mixed-methods design, grounded in pragmatism, and is structured in two phases, aligned with the Medical Research Council and National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) framework for developing and evaluating complex interventions (Skivington et al., 2021).
Phase One focuses on toolkit development through a systematic literature review and interviews with arts therapists working across music, art, and dance-movement disciplines to explore therapeutic approaches that support early relational connection. Data sources were analysed separately and then synthesised to inform toolkit design.
Phase Two involves participatory workshops with parents, therapists, and professionals to evaluate the toolkit’s feasibility and applicability across diverse settings. This presentation outlines the study’s aims, methodology, and preliminary findings from Phase One.
References
HM GOVERNMENT, 2021. Best Start in Life: A Vision for 1001 Critical Days
HM GOVERNMENT, 2022a. Healthy beginnings: applying All our health
SKIVINGTON, K., MATTHEWS, L., SIMPSON, S. A., CRAIG, P., BAIRD, J., BLAZEBY, J. M., BOYD, K. A., CRAIG, N., FRENCH, D. P., MCINTOSH, E., PETTICREW, M., RYCROFT-MALONE, J., WHITE, M. and MOORE, L., 2024. A new framework for developing and evaluating complex interventions: update of Medical Research Council guidance. International Journal of Nursing Studies. 154, pp. 104705.
VAN IJZENDOORN, M. H. and BAKERMANS-KRANENBURG, M. J., 2019. Bridges across the intergenerational transmission of attachment gap. Current Opinion in Psychology. 25, pp. 31-36.
Georgina Roberts’ Edge Hill University PhD researcher page