A critical evaluation of a community based mother-infant intervention project with special emphasis on infant attachment

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dc.contributor.advisorSwartz, Leslieen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorTomlinson, Marken_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2014-12-06T06:39:30Z
dc.date.available2014-12-06T06:39:30Z
dc.date.issued1999en_ZA
dc.descriptionBibliography: leaves 61-88.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractThis dissertation critically evaluates a community based mother-infant intervention project in Hanover Park, a deprived area of Cape Town, characterised by poverty, gangsterism and high levels of unemployment. The aim of the project was to assess the impact of an intervention programme in preventing child abuse and neglect and promoting more nurturing parent-child relationships. The sample was drawn from clinic records at the Hanover Park Mid-Obstetric Unit. Twenty-five mother-infant dyads were initially chosen based on high levels of stress and assigned to the intervention group. A control group was subsequently chosen, also drawn from clinic records as well as being matched with the intervention group. Subjects in the intervention group received weekly visits for a two-year period from family support workers, all of whom lived in Hanover Park. The intervention was based on the Healthy Start Programme as developed in Hawaii. A basic socio-demographic questionnaire was administered at the beginning of the project. Mothers were assessed for postnatal depression using the Edinburgh Postnatal . Depression Scale. Anthropometric data was collected throughout the project. At the end of the two-year intervention, infants were assessed using the Griffiths Scales of Mental Development and Ainsworth's Strange Situation. The results were statistically analysed for relationships and differences according to group. Findings revealed that there were no significant differences between the intervention group and the control group on any of the outcome measures. A trend was detected with the Strange Situation results and a power analysis was conducted in order to determine requisite sample size for significance to have been achieved. The result of this algorithm were that for significance to have been achieved (assuming the trend were to continue) a sample size of 74 in each group would have been required. A discussion is presented in terms of the implications of the findings for the utilisation of the Strange Situation measure in a diverse cultural context such as South Africa, as well as the broader cultural implications for the study of attachment in future studies. A detailed methodological and theoretical critique of the Hanover Park Project is also presented in order to glean important lessons for future intervention studies, and more particularly for a treatment-trial which is at present being conducted in Khayelitsha.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationTomlinson, M. (1999). <i>A critical evaluation of a community based mother-infant intervention project with special emphasis on infant attachment</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Psychology. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9909en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationTomlinson, Mark. <i>"A critical evaluation of a community based mother-infant intervention project with special emphasis on infant attachment."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Psychology, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9909en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationTomlinson, M. 1999. A critical evaluation of a community based mother-infant intervention project with special emphasis on infant attachment. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Tomlinson, Mark AB - This dissertation critically evaluates a community based mother-infant intervention project in Hanover Park, a deprived area of Cape Town, characterised by poverty, gangsterism and high levels of unemployment. The aim of the project was to assess the impact of an intervention programme in preventing child abuse and neglect and promoting more nurturing parent-child relationships. The sample was drawn from clinic records at the Hanover Park Mid-Obstetric Unit. Twenty-five mother-infant dyads were initially chosen based on high levels of stress and assigned to the intervention group. A control group was subsequently chosen, also drawn from clinic records as well as being matched with the intervention group. Subjects in the intervention group received weekly visits for a two-year period from family support workers, all of whom lived in Hanover Park. The intervention was based on the Healthy Start Programme as developed in Hawaii. A basic socio-demographic questionnaire was administered at the beginning of the project. Mothers were assessed for postnatal depression using the Edinburgh Postnatal . Depression Scale. Anthropometric data was collected throughout the project. At the end of the two-year intervention, infants were assessed using the Griffiths Scales of Mental Development and Ainsworth's Strange Situation. The results were statistically analysed for relationships and differences according to group. Findings revealed that there were no significant differences between the intervention group and the control group on any of the outcome measures. A trend was detected with the Strange Situation results and a power analysis was conducted in order to determine requisite sample size for significance to have been achieved. The result of this algorithm were that for significance to have been achieved (assuming the trend were to continue) a sample size of 74 in each group would have been required. A discussion is presented in terms of the implications of the findings for the utilisation of the Strange Situation measure in a diverse cultural context such as South Africa, as well as the broader cultural implications for the study of attachment in future studies. A detailed methodological and theoretical critique of the Hanover Park Project is also presented in order to glean important lessons for future intervention studies, and more particularly for a treatment-trial which is at present being conducted in Khayelitsha. DA - 1999 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 1999 T1 - A critical evaluation of a community based mother-infant intervention project with special emphasis on infant attachment TI - A critical evaluation of a community based mother-infant intervention project with special emphasis on infant attachment UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9909 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/9909
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationTomlinson M. A critical evaluation of a community based mother-infant intervention project with special emphasis on infant attachment. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Psychology, 1999 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9909en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Psychologyen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Humanitiesen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherClinical Psychologyen_ZA
dc.titleA critical evaluation of a community based mother-infant intervention project with special emphasis on infant attachmenten_ZA
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationnameMAen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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