Embedding Research in Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Settings: Practical Steps and Considerations

Evidence-based programs that address the mental health needs of infants andyoung children exposed to early adversity are essential for disrupting patterns of intergenerational risk. There is now a growing understanding that research must be co- created in collaboration with community partners, as research and evaluation are both core components of implementing infant and early childhood mental health programs. Yet less than half of infant and early childhood mental health programs in Canada have research and evaluation embedded within their core services. Embedding evaluations within a mental health program requires trust, relational development and the use of frameworks and methods that meet the needs of the program.

The process of embedding research within a community program setting has the potential to inform program improvements, provide critical information to funders and build evaluation capacity within the field of infant and early childhood mental health. This article provides a road map from the perspectives of embedded research staff, on-site service providers and academic researchers for conducting community-based research (CBR) within infant and early childhood mental health settings. First, we provide a conceptual foundation of CBR along with an explanation of how these concepts can be applied within programs delivering infant and early childhood mental health services. Next, we detail and compare the histories of two community-based interventions for pregnant and parenting substance-involved mothers and their families: Breaking the Cycle (BTC), a program which has had research embedded within its operation from the onset and Maxxine Wright Community Health Centre (MWCHC), a similar program in the early stages of embedding research. We detail how an established researcher-community partnership served as a model for the second collaboration. Specifically,we describe how a community-based researcher (the ‘research person’) can function as a bridge in facilitating community-university partnerships. We highlight specific strategies and considerationsfor clinicians and researchers interested in building community research partnerships. Moreover, we provide practical guidance for embedding CBR within their programs to support relational approaches and research sustainability. Finally, we discuss collective reflections for increasing the uptake of infant mental health research and research practices in Canada.