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Completed

NCT Number: NCT04626037

CLC Parent-Child Emotional Preparation Program

The purpose of this study is to investigate the feasibility of the Nurture Science Program's (NSP) Drop-In group via telemedicine as standard care at Children's Learning Centers (CLC) to prepare preschoolers emotionally for the preschool experience utilizing the Welch Emotional Connection Screen (WECS) Relational Health Toolkit. The behavioral, neurobiological, and clinical insights gained from this project may lead to better treatment of emotional, behavioral and developmental disorders.

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Key information

Conditions

Emotional Connection Behavior Behavioral Symptoms Child Behavior Child Development Disruptive Behavior Primary Prevention Problem Behavior

Age range

Up to 5 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Childcare Learning Centers of Fairfield County

Stamford, Connecticut, 06902, United States

About this study

The purpose of this study is to test the practicality of mothers and children utilizing the WECS Relational Health Toolkit. The Cuddle and Calm Book, Well Baby Book, mother and child mutual narrative activity card, Bottle of Feelings, Mother's Socioemotional Support Circle, and the WECS for emotional connection make up the preschool WECS Relational Health toolkit. The WECS Relational Health Toolkit provides family-based resources to help mothers and children emotionally connect. The WECS Relational Health Toolkit is designed to create emotional connection and establish mother-child autonomic co-regulation, which helps shape autonomic state and behavior of the mother and child and therefore determines early child development and mother well-being. The investigators will test whether this toolkit can be a positive part of a standard preschool education program. Practicality will be measured through virtual participant attendance, a participant survey, and staff notes. Effects of this program on the emotional connection of mother-child pair will be measured through the Welch Emotional Connection Screen (WECS). Effects on child behaviors will be measured through the WECS-Parent Report (WECS-PR), SDQ, and Survey of Wellbeing of Young Children Baby Pediatric Symptom Checklist (BPSC) or the Preschool Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PPSC) subscales (age-dependent). We will also measure symptoms of depression in the mothers using the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression (CES-D) before and after the introduction to the Toolkit. We will also assess differences in developmental progress using the Milestones subscale of the SWYC.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Preschool aged children from 0-5 years old and their mothers in CLC programs.

Exclusion criteria

  • Families that choose not to participate in any data collection procedures but would like to listen in on the session(s).

Treatment and study plan

WECS Relational Toolkit

Behavioral

The Cuddle and Calm Book, The Mommy Baby Book, mother and child mutual narrative, the Bottle of Emotions, and the WECS for emotional connection, make up the WECS Relational Health toolkit.

Primary outcomes

  1. Proportion of eligible dyads who enroll

    Time frame: 6 weeks

    This will be used to determine study uptake.

  2. Proportion of participants who return for a second session

    Time frame: 6-12 weeks after first session

    This will be used to determine retention rate.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change in WECS screen scale score

    Time frame: 90 minutes (post-intervention); 6-12 weeks after first session; 6 months after first session

    Emotional connection will be measured from pre- and post-intervention WECS screen scale scores will be compared using paired sample t-tests. Change in WECS scores will be correlated with attendance using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. This is a clinical tool completed by study staff to assess the emotional connection of a mother-child dyad. The WECS focuses on specific domains: attraction, vocal communication, facial communication, sensitivity/responsivity and one general: a dyad's interventional need. The WECS is scored based on observed presence of these 4 domains. The lowest score being a 1 and the highest being a 3. The higher the score, the more emotionally connected the dyad is therefore indicating a better outcome.

Other outcomes

  1. Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)

    Time frame: 6 weeks post-intervention; 6 months after first session

    The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is a brief behavioural screening questionnaire about 3-16 year olds. It exists in several versions to meet the needs of researchers, clinicians and educationalists. All versions of the SDQ ask about 25 attributes, some positive and others negative. These 25 items are divided between 5 scales: (1) emotional symptoms (5 items); (2) conduct problems (5 items); (3) hyperactivity/inattention (5 items); (4) peer relationship problems (5 items); (5) prosocial behavior (5 items). Sections (1) to (4) are added together to generate a total difficulties score (based on 20 items), ranging from 0 (better outcome) to 40 (worse outcome).

  2. Survey of Wellbeing of Young Children (SWYC) Preschool Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PPSC)

    Time frame: 6-10 weeks after intervention, and again 6 months after first session

    The SWYC is a screening instrument for children up to 5 years of age. The Preschool Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PPSC) is used for children 18 months or older. Higher scores indicate higher risk.

  3. Survey of Wellbeing of Young Children (SWYC) Baby Pediatric Symptom Checklist (BPSC)

    Time frame: 6-10 weeks after intervention, and again 6 months after first session

    The SWYC is a screening instrument for children up to 5 years of age. The Baby Pediatric Symptom Checklist (BPSC) is used for children under 18 months. Higher scores indicate higher risk.

  4. Survey of Wellbeing of Young Children (SWYC) Milestones

    Time frame: 6-10 weeks after intervention, and again 6 months after first session

    The SWYC is a screening instrument for children up to 5 years of age. The Developmental Milestones (DM) of the SWYC will be used. Lower scores indicate higher risk.

  5. Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D)

    Time frame: 6-10 weeks after intervention, and again 6 months after first session

    The CES-D is a 20 item self-report inventory designed to assess current but nonspecific distress rather than clinically diagnosed depression.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Columbia University

Other

Collaborators

  • Einhorn Collaborative

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2021
Primary completion
2022
Study completion
2023
First posted
Nov 12, 2020
Registry last updated
Nov 21, 2024

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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