Strengthening caregiver-child interactions to protect children’s mental health through care

Sergi Ballespí

Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Spain

Children with emerging emotional or behavioural difficulties may face problems at school, in relationships and in daily life, particularly when families experience chronic stress. Many existing parenting programmes are intensive and difficult to scale, and support often arrives only after problems have worsened. This project aims to test a brief, practical intervention that can reach families through community services before specialist mental health care becomes necessary.

The intervention focuses on preventing further deterioration by improving everyday interactions between caregivers and children. The researchers will evaluate its effects on children’s daily functioning, emotional and behavioural difficulties, caregiver stress and quality of life over time.

The preventive approach of this project is especially relevant for children exposed to socioeconomic adversity, who face greater risks and often have less access to early support. The findings could provide the evidence needed to develop a scalable first-line model to reduce inequalities and help prevent difficulties from becoming more severe.

Preventing Functional Deterioration in Children with Emerging Mental Health Difficulties

€249,124.00