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ERIC Number: EJ821665
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2008-Nov
Pages: 41
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1040-9289
EISSN: N/A
The Evidence Base for Mental Health Consultation in Early Childhood Settings: Research Synthesis Addressing Staff and Program Outcomes
Brennan, Eileen M.; Bradley, Jennifer R.; Allen, Mary Dallas; Perry, Deborah F.
Early Education and Development, v19 n6 p982-1022 Nov 2008
Research Findings: One strategy to support early childhood providers' work with children exhibiting challenging behavior is offering mental health consultation services in order to build staff skills and confidence and reduce staff stress and turnover. Through systematic search procedures, 26 recent studies were identified that addressed the effectiveness of early childhood mental health consultation with respect to staff- and program-level outcomes. Across the reviewed studies, there is some evidence that early childhood mental health consultation helped increase staff self-efficacy/confidence and competence in dealing with troubling or difficult behaviors of young children in their care. In several studies, staff receiving consultation had improved sensitivity and lower job-related stress. In addition, consultation generally helped improve overall quality of early care and education settings and was linked to reduced staff turnover. Practice or Policy: Because the majority of the studies were not in peer-reviewed publications, this research synthesis underscores the importance of increasing the rigor of future studies to provide policymakers and practitioners with better evidence on consultation effectiveness. Priorities for future research include articulating the theory of change underlying consultation activities; developing additional measurement instruments to explore key components of mental health consultation; and examining the effects of consultant qualifications, consultation intensity, and specific activities on outcomes. (Contains 2 tables.)
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Information Analyses; Journal Articles
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Preschool Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A