ERIC Number: EJ1489817
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Nov
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0163-9641
EISSN: EISSN-1097-0355
Available Date: 2025-06-01
Consultant Perception of the Feasibility and Effectiveness of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Services Provided Virtually to Early Care and Education
Nicola A. Conners Edge1; Allison Boothe Trigg2; Sherryl Scott Heller2; Alison Steier3; Kristin Reinsberg4; Jordana Ash5; Maya Williams1; Deborah F. Perry6; Leah Eckley3; Elizabeth Biccio7; Kadija Johnston6
Infant Mental Health Journal: Infancy and Early Childhood, v46 n6 p765-777 2025
A growing body of research suggests that infant and early childhood mental health consultation (IECMHC) is effective in improving child outcomes and classroom quality in early care and education (ECE) settings. However, there is limited research regarding the provision of IECMHC virtually (e.g., by phone or video conferencing platform), and the transition to virtual services in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic provided an opportunity to learn more. This study focuses on mental health consultants' (MHCs) perceptions of the feasibility and effectiveness of providing IECMHC virtually. Using a purposive sampling method, we gathered survey data from 94 MHCs providing IECMHC in 15 states in the United States. More than two-thirds of MHCs reported consultation was as effective or more effective virtually (compared to in-person) when it involved adult or programmatic consultation, while one-third of MHCs viewed child-focused consultation as being as or more effective virtually. There was wide variation in the extent to which MHCs viewed specific consultation activities as feasible and effective when delivered virtually. Furthermore, one-third of consultants reported that the ECE programs they served experienced major barriers related to equipment and technology. We explore how these findings can inform future planning for the provision of virtual services.
Descriptors: Infants, Young Children, Child Health, Mental Health, Access to Health Care, Consultants, Attitudes, Videoconferencing, Program Effectiveness, Consultation Programs, Telecommunications
Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA; 2Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; 3Southwest Human Development, Phoenix, Arizona, USA; 4Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA; 5University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA; 6Center for Child and Human Development, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA; 7National Early Childhood Systems, LLC, Conway, New Hampshire, USA

Peer reviewed
Direct link
