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Addressing the Early Childhood Mental Health Needs of Young Children: Evaluating Child and Family Outcomes

ABSTRACT. The prevalence of serious emotional and behavioral concerns in early childhood is estimated to be in the range of 9% to 14% of the general population (Brauner & Stephens, 2006) and as high as 24% among low-income children (Brown, Copeland, Sucharew, & Kahn, 2012). Unfortunately, mental health concerns among young children often go unidentified and untreated (Breitenstein, Hill, & Gross, 2009). As longer-term research has illustrated the impact of untreated mental health issues in early childhood on later health, social-emotional functioning, and academic success (Zero to Three, 2012), intervention with families facing such concerns offer opportunities to positively impact the trajectory of these issues. Using data from a longitudinal, pre–post design, this secondary analysis examines the delivery (n = 808) and outcomes (n = 664) of child- and family-centered early childhood mental health (ECMH) services delivered in home by 6 agencies. Although ECMH treatment models differed across sites, parents reported significant reductions in children's internalizing and externalizing behavior problems, and service providers noted significant improvements in parent–child relationship functioning over time, particularly for children with a relationship disorder. Future research using a rigorous experimental design is needed to confirm these preliminary findings. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications of this work for practice, research, and policy.