Proof of Concept of a Smartphone App to Support Delivery of an Intervention to Facilitate Mothers’ Mind-Mindedness

Fionnuala Larkin; Janine Maree Oostenbroek; Yujin Lee; Emily Hayward; Elizabeth Meins

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0220948

Proof of Concept of a Smartphone App to Support Delivery of an Intervention to Facilitate Mothers’ Mind-Mindedness

Fionnuala Larkin, Janine Maree Oostenbroek, Yujin Lee, Emily Hayward, Elizabeth Meins

Psychology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The present study reports on the first evaluation of a parenting intervention utilizing a smartphone app, BabyMind. The intervention aimed to facilitate mothers’ mind-mindedness—attunement to their infants’ internal states. Mothers in the intervention group (n=90) used the BabyMind app from their infants’ births and were followed up at age 6 months (n=66). Mothers in the control group (n=151) were recruited when their infants were age 6 months and had never used the BabyMind app. Mind-mindedness when interacting with their infants was significantly higher in intervention group mothers than in control group mothers. The intervention was equally effective in facilitating mind-mindedness in young and older mothers. These findings are discussed in terms of the potential for interventions utlizing smartphone apps to improve parenting and children’s developmental outcome in vulnerable and hard-to-reach groups.

Original language	English
Article number	e0220948
Number of pages	16
Journal	PLoS ONE
Volume	14
Issue number	8
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0220948
Publication status	Published - 22 Aug 2019

Bibliographical note

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10.1371/journal.pone.0220948

journal.pone.0220948
© 2019 Larkin et al.
Final published version, 959 KBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "Proof of Concept of a Smartphone App to Support Delivery of an Intervention to Facilitate Mothers{\textquoteright} Mind-Mindedness",

abstract = "The present study reports on the first evaluation of a parenting intervention utilizing a smartphone app, BabyMind. The intervention aimed to facilitate mothers{\textquoteright} mind-mindedness—attunement to their infants{\textquoteright} internal states. Mothers in the intervention group (n=90) used the BabyMind app from their infants{\textquoteright} births and were followed up at age 6 months (n=66). Mothers in the control group (n=151) were recruited when their infants were age 6 months and had never used the BabyMind app. Mind-mindedness when interacting with their infants was significantly higher in intervention group mothers than in control group mothers. The intervention was equally effective in facilitating mind-mindedness in young and older mothers. These findings are discussed in terms of the potential for interventions utlizing smartphone apps to improve parenting and children{\textquoteright}s developmental outcome in vulnerable and hard-to-reach groups.",

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