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Welcome

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Welcome to the Association for Infant Mental Health (AIMH) UK, an autonomous body affiliated to the World Association for Infant Mental Health (WAIMH).

Infant mental health is one of the most exciting and rapidly developing areas in the whole field of mental health. Research has shown that support for parents during their baby's first year can significantly increase the proportion of babies who form secure relationships with their parents, and this has lasting benefits for their subsequent development. A good beginning for young families is a protective factor in coping with life's inevitable stresses. Early intervention when there are difficulties can often prevent the development of mental health problems in later years.

Please visit the non-members area on the Navigation Panel to view the benefits that are available by becoming a Member. If you choose to secure a place on a Clinical Workshop, or at an AIMH (UK) Annual Conference you have the opportunity to take a full years membership which comes within the fee. (Payment can be made by Paypal through the Store, or by cheque, made payable to AIMH (UK) and sent to the Administrator - confirmation will be sent by return)

Limited Edition DVD : Early Relationships and Child Development.

We have copies available of Svyatoslav Dovbnya and Tatiania Morozova's poignant and moving film, shown at AIMH UK's 2009 conference; at £5.50 per copy (includes postage & packing; payment can be made by Paypal through the Store, or cheque if preferred). This 23 minute video shows the lives of four young children in baby homes in Russia and explores how children communicate without words. The video can be used to teach professionals to observe and interpret infant and child behavour and understand the importance of attachment. Contact the Administrator for more information if required

Events

The Events page supplies all visitors to the website with updated information on forthcoming Events and Conferences

Recent articles

  Young Children Develop in an Environment of Relationships
National Scientific Council on the Developing Child (2004). Updated and reprinted October 2009.'Young Children Develop in an Environment of Relationships'. Centre on the Developing Child : Harvard University. Working Paper No 1.
Download this Report from the Publications page
  CSJ : 'Green Paper on the Family' - January 2010
Published by the Centre for Social Justice.
Download this Report from the Publications page
  Report 'Support for All' : The Families and Relationships Green Paper January 2010
Report presented to Parliament by the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families' DCSF (Crown Copyright)
Download this Report from the Publications Page
  World Health Organisation 'Early Child Development: A Powerful Equalizer'
It is important to the Authors that their work gets widespread exposure and for this reason they have given us permission to upload this most inspiring report onto our website. Early Child Development: A Powerful Equalizer, Final Report for the World Health Organisation's Commission on the Social Determinants of Health. Authors Lori G Irwin PhD RN, Arjuman Siddiqi ScD MPH and Dr Clyde Hertzman MD MSc FRCPC. Download this Report from the Publications Page
  Parenting and Wellbeing: Knitting Families Together
The forgotten parent? A report launched by the Young Foundation’s (www.youngfoundation.org) Local Wellbeing Project, Parenting and wellbeing: knitting families together argues that parenting support often fails because it ignores the wellbeing of parents themselves. Download this Report from the Publications page
  "Parents are the principal architects of a fairer society...." 'Building Character'
'BUILDING CHARACTER' Jen Lexmond (Researcher at DEMOS) and Richard Reeves (Director of DEMOS). First published in 2009 by DEMOS (www.demos.co.uk). The Report is broken down into four key sections: Character as Capability; Why Character Matters; Influences on the Early Years' and 'Policy Directions' Download this Report from the Publications page
  Charles Darwin; A Biographical Sketch of an Infant
Darwin C.R 1877. A Biographical Sketch of an Infant. Mind. A Quarterly Review of Psychology and Philosophy 2 (7) (July): 285-294. This version reproduced here with permission from Dr John van Wyhe.  Ed., The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online   http://darwin-online.org.uk
Download this Article from the Publications page
  Drastic Drop in Health Visitor Numbers Threatens Child Health in the 21st Century
A new Report form the UK Public Health Association (UKPHA) www.ukpha.org.uk launched on 24th November 2009 makes five key recommendations aimed at creating a reinvigorated health visiting service which will promote and protect the health of families and children and reduce health inequalities. Download this Report from the Publications Page.
  Differentiating Early-Onset Persistent versus Childhood-Limited Conduct Problem Youth
Edward D Barker, Ph.D., and Barbara Maughn, Ph.D.
Am J Psychiatry 2009; 166:900-908
(published online July 1, 2009; doi: 10.1176/appi.2009 08121770
  What are Child-Care Social Workers Doing in Relation to Infant Mental Health? An Exploration of Professional Ideologies and Practice Preferences within an Inter-Agency Context - Abstract
Johanna Woodcock Ross, Lucy Hooper, Elizabeth Stenhouse and Rod Sheaff
BJSW Advance Access originally published online on March 26, 2008.
British Journal of Social Work 2009 39(6):1008-1025;
doi:10.1093/bjsw/bcn029
  Relationships and Feelings in the Nursery - Penelope Leach
A version of this Leaflet was published in Nursery World in November 2008
Download this Paper from the Publications Page
  How mothers with borderline personality disorder relate to their year-old Infants
British Journal of Psychiatry (2009) 105: 325-330. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.108.060624
  Early Intervention: Good Parents, Great Kids, Better Citizens
The Report (2nd Edition) is published jointly by the Centre for Social Justice and the Smith Institute . Download this Report from the Publications page
  0-5: How Small Children Make a Big Difference
We have been given permission from The Work Foundation to publish this paper that will demonstrate how vital the early years are to good economics, social mobility, quality of life, and consequently, government plans for modernisation and reform. It explores each of these in turn, and shows why parenting and early-year enrichment make such a big difference.
  Child Development in a Birth Cohort - Abstract

Child development in a birth cohort: effect of child stimulation is stronger in less educated mothers
  Robin Balbernie lecture 20th Annual Infancy Conference
The text version of Robin's lecture at the 20th Annual Infancy Conference held in Bristol 6 June 2009
  AIMH Conference Presentation - Maxine Sacks
Maxine Sacks Presentation from the  AIMH AGM 15 May 2009 entitled 'CBT and the Unconscious' 
  AIMH Conference Presentation - Antoine Guedeney
Presentation by Antoine Guedeney (President of WAIMH), from AIMH AGM 15 May 2009 entitled 'How can we make an effective prevention programme in the field of attachment' or 'How to Reach the Hard to Reach'. Download this Presentation from the Publications page.
  AIMH Conference Presentation -Tessa Baradon
Tessa Baradon's Presentation, from the AIMH AGM held on 15 May 2009, 'A Paradox of Volatility and Routine; key theoretical concepts that inform an early intervention programme for imprisoned mothers and their babies.'
  An Infant Mental Health Service: The Importance of the Early Years and Evidence-Based Practice. Robin Balbernie 2004
This document gives detailed evidence for the importance of infant-parent psychotherapy, and related relationship-based interventions, as a therapeutic and preventative service for at-risk babies and their parents. Each section can stand alone; but helping small people seems to call for big explanations!