Assessing Changes in Parent Sensitivity in Telehealth and Hybrid Implementation of Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-Up During the COVID-19 Pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, home visiting services for families with young children pivoted to continue providing services virtually. One such service was Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up (ABC), a brief prevention/intervention program targeting increased parental sensitivity. 70 families participated in a sensitivity assessment before and after receiving ABC. Forty-three families received the program fully through telehealth, and 27 families received the program through an in-person/telehealth hybrid format. Parent sensitivity was assessed pre- and post-intervention, and results suggested that when ABC was delivered through a telehealth or hybrid format, parents showed increased following the lead and decreased intrusiveness from pre- to post-intervention, with moderate effect sizes. Ongoing supervision in the model, weekly fidelity maintenance checks, and the flexibility of families and parent coaches likely contributed to the maintenance of significant change in parental sensitivity from pre- to post-intervention during the move from face-to-face home visiting to the provision of virtual services.

Automated summary

During the COVID-19 pandemic, home visiting services shifted to virtual platforms, and the Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up (ABC) program successfully increased parental sensitivity when delivered through telehealth or a hybrid format. Ongoing supervision, fidelity maintenance checks, and the flexibility of families and parent coaches contributed to the significant change in parental sensitivity from pre- to post-intervention during the transition to virtual services.