USC Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Los Angeles Best Babies Network at Dignity Health California Hospital Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Infant Ment Health J. 2022 Jan;43(1):69-81. doi: 10.1002/imhj.21957. Epub 2021 Dec 25.
COVID-19 has disrupted many of the preventive service sectors designed to promote infant mental health. The purpose of this study is to examine provider and supervisor transition strategies as well as maternal-child outcomes during the transition from in-person to virtual early childhood home visitation services in Los Angeles County. Los Angeles County is one of the largest home visitation sectors in the U.S. and disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Transitioning from in-person to virtual home visitation was an important step in ensuring the continuity of infant mental health services. Home visitors reported relative ease in transitioning to virtual services themselves but noted that families encountered greater difficulty. The most helpful strategies to support this transition included training, ongoing reflective supervision, and provision of technology. Family level analysis revealed that positive screening rates for anxiety and depression decreased during the pandemic as did referrals for most support services. These findings likely highlight challenges in delivering virtual home visitation. Understanding how transitions in a key infant serving sector were managed serves an important role in forecasting for the future and preparing for future public heath emergencies.
COVID-19 打乱了许多旨在促进婴儿心理健康的预防服务领域。本研究旨在考察从洛杉矶县的面对面到虚拟幼儿家访服务的转变过程中，服务提供者和主管的过渡策略以及母婴结局。洛杉矶县是美国最大的家访服务领域之一，受 COVID-19 大流行的影响不成比例。从面对面家访过渡到虚拟家访是确保婴儿心理健康服务连续性的重要步骤。家访员报告说，他们自己过渡到虚拟服务相对容易，但指出家庭遇到了更大的困难。支持这一转变最有帮助的策略包括培训、持续的反思性监督和技术提供。家庭层面的分析显示，焦虑和抑郁的阳性筛查率在大流行期间下降，大多数支持服务的转介也下降。这些发现可能突出了提供虚拟家访的挑战。了解关键婴儿服务部门的过渡是如何管理的，对于预测未来和为未来的公共卫生紧急情况做好准备具有重要作用。
