Zeanah PD, Stafford BS, Nagle GA, Rice T. 2005. Addressing social-emotional development and infant mental health in early childhood systems. Los Angeles, CA: National Center for Infant and Early Childhood Health Policy, 56 pp., exec summ. (14 pp.). (Building state early childhood comprehensive systems; no. 12) Annotation: This report presents an overview of infant mental health (IMH) and the principles that need to be considered when building systems to meet the social and emotional needs of young children. Topics include the contexts of infant mental health: biological, developmental, environmental, and relationships; addressing IMH in the Maternal and Child Health Bureau's State Early Childhood Comprehensive Services (SECCS) initiative such as approaches in primary care settings; focused (indicated) services; intensive and tertiary services; challenges and opportunities in mental health systems; and principles, strategies, and challenges in funding, workforce development, and outcomes and evaluation. Recommendations and accompanying strategies reflect issues discussed throughout the report including integrating infant mental health into all child and family service systems, assuring mental health disorders are identified early, expanding system capacity, assuring high risk children receive comprehensive services, providing access to consultation and support to early childhood education providers, raising public and professional awareness, and developing strategies for assessing outcomes and program evaluation. Appendices include domains of IMH assessment, two states' approaches to developing systems, approaches to building early childhood systems of care, and resources. References conclude the report. [Funded in part by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau] Contact: Education Resources Information Center, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, 555 New Jersey Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20208, Telephone: (202) 219-1385 E-mail: Web Site: http://www.eric.ed.gov Available from the website. Keywords: Developmental stages, Early childhood development, Emotional development, Infants, MCH research, Mental health, Mental health services, Program development, Service delivery systems, Socialization, Young children |