A MICROSOCIAL VIDEO-COACHING INTERVENTION FOR TOXICALLY STRESSED EHS FAMILIES

University Of Denver (Colorado Seminary), Denver CO

Investigators

Abstract

This study seeks to understand how toxic stress leads to psychological and physical health problems and identify ways to buffer children enrolled in Early Head Start (EHS) from such stressors. The project was developed in close collaboration with our partner EHS site, Clayton Early Learning Center, and also collaboratively includes several other EHS partners in the Denver metro area. Specifically, the project has the following objectives: (1) identify families at risk for dysregulated stress physiology as a function of toxic stress exposure, (2) implement the preventative intervention Filming Interactions to Nurture Development (FIND) to improve child's well being, (3) assess the effectiveness of the intervention's implementation, and (4) assess the effectiveness of the FIND intervention. Families will be randomly assigned to EHS standard supports or EHS standard supports with the FIND video-coaching intervention. The project includes careful attention to factors influencing implementation success and aims to create a fully scalable intervention. Results are expected to determine whether interventions targeted at parenting in general, and caregiver sensitivity in particular, among toxically stressed EHS families improve child development outcomes. The project also includes a wealth of data on family physiologic and psychologic functioning, stresses and supports, and hopes to inform the scientific discussion around conditions, contexts and factors that contribute to and buffer from toxic stress.