Campbell Paul | University of Melbourne (original) (raw)
Papers by Campbell Paul
Routledge eBooks, May 1, 2018
Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, Apr 1, 2004
Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Apr 1, 2017
Objectives: Research is lacking into the emotional effects on families of serious chronic illness... more Objectives: Research is lacking into the emotional effects on families of serious chronic illness in infants. We examined the effect of the diagnosis of serious liver disease in infants upon parent psychological symptoms and family functioning. We hypothesized that parent psychological symptoms, family functioning, and father engagement will predict infant emotional outcomes. Methods: Parents of infants recently diagnosed with serious liver disease completed validated questionnaires about parent stress, family function, impact of the illness on the family, and father engagement. The measures were repeated after 1 year, with the addition of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Results: Parents of 37 infants participated. Parent stress and family functioning scores were not elevated. Parent psychological symptoms, family function, and father engagement did not predict infant outcome. For mothers, infant diagnosis other than biliary atresia, number of outpatient visits, and impact of the illness on the family explained 32% of the variation in CBCL (P ¼ 0.001). For fathers, socioeconomic status, infant diagnosis other than biliary atresia, whether the infant had had a transplant, and impact of the illness on the family explained 44% of the variation in CBCL (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Parents and families appear to be resilient in coping with serious infant illness. Infant diagnosis other than biliary atresia and parental perceptions of high impact of the illness on the family are indicators of negative emotional outcomes for infants with serious liver disease. Psychosocial interventions for infants with chronic illness should target reducing the impact of illness on the family.
Psychoanalytic Dialogues, May 4, 2017
Royal Children's and Royal Women's Hospitals Melbourne In reply to the commentaries by Susan C. V... more Royal Children's and Royal Women's Hospitals Melbourne In reply to the commentaries by Susan C. Vaughan, Teresa Russo, and Dimitra Bekos on "Understanding the Sexuality of Infants" we concur with Vaughan's noting, in her playfully creative response, a relative absence from the psychoanalytic literature of sexuality, even now, of the bodily realities of infants and parents in the 1st year of life. Teresa Russo and Dimitra Bekos in exploring the relevance of our paper for the work of an infant therapist challenge us to think further why the bodily sexuality of infants is also relatively absent in accounts of infant observation, and in clinical work, both in a transference/countertransference dimension and in descriptions of technique.
John Wiley & Sons, Ltd eBooks, Apr 16, 2010
Journal of Child Psychotherapy, Aug 1, 1997
Abstract A mother-baby therapy group for mothers and infants in their first year who are experien... more Abstract A mother-baby therapy group for mothers and infants in their first year who are experiencing difficulties is described. In a literature review no comparable group where the infants are seen as members in their own right has been found. Themes in the mothers' ...
Infant mental health journal, May 1, 2022
Research points to the significant impact of maternal distress on the parent‐infant relationship ... more Research points to the significant impact of maternal distress on the parent‐infant relationship and infant development. The Newborn Behavioral Observations (NBO) is a brief intervention supporting the infant, the parent and their relationship. This randomized controlled trial examined the effectiveness of the NBO in a population with antenatal distress and risk of postnatal depression (PND). Pregnant, first‐time mothers with current anxiety or depression symptoms or past mental illness were recruited from two Australian hospitals. Participants received three NBO sessions in the first month of life plus treatment as usual (TAU), or, TAU‐only. Outcomes assessed at infant age 4 months included mother‐infant interaction quality; maternal anxiety and depression symptoms; and depression diagnosis. Of 111 pregnant individuals randomized, 90 remained eligible and 74 completed the trial (82.2% retention). There were intervention effects on emotional availability F(6, 67) = 2.52, p = .049, Cohen's d = .90, with higher sensitivity and non‐intrusiveness in the intervention group (n = 40) than the comparison group (n = 34). There was an intervention effect approaching significance for anxiety symptoms at 4 months (p = .06), and a significant effect over time (p = .014), but not for depression symptoms. Anxiety and depression symptoms significantly reduced to sub‐clinical levels within the intervention group only. There were fewer depression diagnoses (n = 6) than expected across groups, with no observed intervention effect. No adverse intervention effects were seen. Exploratory analysis of sensory processing sensitivity suggested differential susceptibility to distress and intervention benefits. The NBO was accepted and exerted meaningful effects on relationship quality and distress; and may enhance the infant's interaction experience and maternal emotional adjustment in at‐risk populations.
The Medical Journal of Australia, May 1, 2012
Infant mental health journal, Oct 31, 2017
Children worldwide experience mental and emotional disorders. Mental disorders occurring among yo... more Children worldwide experience mental and emotional disorders. Mental disorders occurring among young children, especially infants (birth-3 years), often go unrecognized. Prevalence rates are difficult to determine because of lack of awareness and difficulty assessing and diagnosing We acknowledge the invaluable assistance of Mallika Rajamani in the preparation of this article. We have no conflicts of interest to declare.
Australasian Psychiatry, Dec 1, 2006
Methods: A cross-sectional survey with a purpose designed self-report questionnaire was used to a... more Methods: A cross-sectional survey with a purpose designed self-report questionnaire was used to assess the attitudes and practices of 47 perinatal and infant psychiatry clinicians in their use and understanding of motherinfant psychotherapy. Results: Seventy per cent of clinicians in this field of psychotherapy who responded to the questionnaire subscribe to a psychodynamic model, although cognitive behavioural models are also used. The interventions were mostly used in conjunction with other interventions, would be more accurately described as 'parent-infant psychotherapy', and non-psychiatrists in the area tended to be more likely to be formally trained in psychotherapy, but only 4% were formally trained in specific mother-infant psychotherapy. There was a unanimous request for further clinical training in this area. Conclusions: The emerging field of perinatal psychiatry needs to develop coherent therapeutic models and conduct outcome trials on specific interventions. Specific trainings in these models, in assessment and in diagnostic frameworks are required to enhance clinical efficacy, for research and service development purposes.
Psychoanalytic Dialogues, Jul 4, 2018
We address some of the individual points that Lombardi makes, some that we agree with and some th... more We address some of the individual points that Lombardi makes, some that we agree with and some that as infant mental health clinicians we do not agree with—for example, that at the beginning of life the mind is still not there—and try to show why we think that is.
Psychoanalytic Dialogues, May 4, 2017
Royal Children's and Royal Women's Hospitals Melbourne Infants' innate joyful sexuality in the 1s... more Royal Children's and Royal Women's Hospitals Melbourne Infants' innate joyful sexuality in the 1st year, as well as parental sexuality, are relatively neglected in models of clinical work with infants. We offer a developmental perspective that pays close attention to the body of the infant, in contrast to some psychoanalytic theories that view infantile sexuality as phantasy. With greater awareness of the infant's body as sexual, therapists could develop a more resonant countertransference and become more aware of the experiences of the infant as subject. Some symptomatic difficulties are described, and the relevance for psychotherapeutic intervention with adults is indicated. The sexuality of the ordinary infant in the "good-enough" infant-parent relationship has not been given significant recognition, either in the traditional psychoanalytic models, with the overemphasis on phantasy, or in models of clinical work with infants. Acknowledging the baby as a person with his or her own body, sensuality and sexuality, is vitally important in order to better understand ordinary development and deepen clinical work, and captures something, we hope, of the joyful erotism, of Maurice Sendak's (1970) naked baby tumbling through the night. Arising out of clinical work with infants and their families, influenced by the work of Winnicott, who regarded the baby as a subject of intervention, there is a need to highlight further critical dimensions of the infant and infant-parent relationship, namely, the essential sexuality of the infant. The topics of sexuality, sex, and gender in the 1st year are explored from a confluence of perspectives from psychoanalytic work with adult patients, infant clinical work, infant research, and psychoanalytic infant observation, and whether what has seemed important in the classical instinct theories applies in light of our own infant mental work. What we describe emerges in most caregiver relationships, most often with mother and father. Eroticism and the biology of sexuality, neurophysiological stimulation, and psycho-physiological response underpin the normal erotism necessary for adult sexuality and reproduction; for the infant, the pleasure of feeding and the sensuality of skin and genitals underpin enjoyable sexuality and the sense of self and self-esteem, provided that bodily excitement in the erotogenic zones is not too overwhelming Correspondence should be addressed to Frances Thomson
Neuropsychiatrie De L'enfance Et De L'adolescence, Jul 1, 2012
Becoming a parent is to be met with some of life's most profound responsibilities. Not surpri... more Becoming a parent is to be met with some of life's most profound responsibilities. Not surprisingly, therefore, when parents already have emotional problems and their infant appears physically sick, or parent- infant issues exist, there are likely to be significant interactions with a paediatric hospital. These issues are the subject matter of this chapter.
This book will be of interest to those child psychotherapists, infant mental health practitioners... more This book will be of interest to those child psychotherapists, infant mental health practitioners and other professionals who work therapeutically with parents, infants and toddlers. Babies should ...
Routledge eBooks, May 1, 2018
Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, Apr 1, 2004
Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Apr 1, 2017
Objectives: Research is lacking into the emotional effects on families of serious chronic illness... more Objectives: Research is lacking into the emotional effects on families of serious chronic illness in infants. We examined the effect of the diagnosis of serious liver disease in infants upon parent psychological symptoms and family functioning. We hypothesized that parent psychological symptoms, family functioning, and father engagement will predict infant emotional outcomes. Methods: Parents of infants recently diagnosed with serious liver disease completed validated questionnaires about parent stress, family function, impact of the illness on the family, and father engagement. The measures were repeated after 1 year, with the addition of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Results: Parents of 37 infants participated. Parent stress and family functioning scores were not elevated. Parent psychological symptoms, family function, and father engagement did not predict infant outcome. For mothers, infant diagnosis other than biliary atresia, number of outpatient visits, and impact of the illness on the family explained 32% of the variation in CBCL (P ¼ 0.001). For fathers, socioeconomic status, infant diagnosis other than biliary atresia, whether the infant had had a transplant, and impact of the illness on the family explained 44% of the variation in CBCL (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Parents and families appear to be resilient in coping with serious infant illness. Infant diagnosis other than biliary atresia and parental perceptions of high impact of the illness on the family are indicators of negative emotional outcomes for infants with serious liver disease. Psychosocial interventions for infants with chronic illness should target reducing the impact of illness on the family.
Psychoanalytic Dialogues, May 4, 2017
Royal Children's and Royal Women's Hospitals Melbourne In reply to the commentaries by Susan C. V... more Royal Children's and Royal Women's Hospitals Melbourne In reply to the commentaries by Susan C. Vaughan, Teresa Russo, and Dimitra Bekos on "Understanding the Sexuality of Infants" we concur with Vaughan's noting, in her playfully creative response, a relative absence from the psychoanalytic literature of sexuality, even now, of the bodily realities of infants and parents in the 1st year of life. Teresa Russo and Dimitra Bekos in exploring the relevance of our paper for the work of an infant therapist challenge us to think further why the bodily sexuality of infants is also relatively absent in accounts of infant observation, and in clinical work, both in a transference/countertransference dimension and in descriptions of technique.
John Wiley & Sons, Ltd eBooks, Apr 16, 2010
Journal of Child Psychotherapy, Aug 1, 1997
Abstract A mother-baby therapy group for mothers and infants in their first year who are experien... more Abstract A mother-baby therapy group for mothers and infants in their first year who are experiencing difficulties is described. In a literature review no comparable group where the infants are seen as members in their own right has been found. Themes in the mothers' ...
Infant mental health journal, May 1, 2022
Research points to the significant impact of maternal distress on the parent‐infant relationship ... more Research points to the significant impact of maternal distress on the parent‐infant relationship and infant development. The Newborn Behavioral Observations (NBO) is a brief intervention supporting the infant, the parent and their relationship. This randomized controlled trial examined the effectiveness of the NBO in a population with antenatal distress and risk of postnatal depression (PND). Pregnant, first‐time mothers with current anxiety or depression symptoms or past mental illness were recruited from two Australian hospitals. Participants received three NBO sessions in the first month of life plus treatment as usual (TAU), or, TAU‐only. Outcomes assessed at infant age 4 months included mother‐infant interaction quality; maternal anxiety and depression symptoms; and depression diagnosis. Of 111 pregnant individuals randomized, 90 remained eligible and 74 completed the trial (82.2% retention). There were intervention effects on emotional availability F(6, 67) = 2.52, p = .049, Cohen's d = .90, with higher sensitivity and non‐intrusiveness in the intervention group (n = 40) than the comparison group (n = 34). There was an intervention effect approaching significance for anxiety symptoms at 4 months (p = .06), and a significant effect over time (p = .014), but not for depression symptoms. Anxiety and depression symptoms significantly reduced to sub‐clinical levels within the intervention group only. There were fewer depression diagnoses (n = 6) than expected across groups, with no observed intervention effect. No adverse intervention effects were seen. Exploratory analysis of sensory processing sensitivity suggested differential susceptibility to distress and intervention benefits. The NBO was accepted and exerted meaningful effects on relationship quality and distress; and may enhance the infant's interaction experience and maternal emotional adjustment in at‐risk populations.
The Medical Journal of Australia, May 1, 2012
Infant mental health journal, Oct 31, 2017
Children worldwide experience mental and emotional disorders. Mental disorders occurring among yo... more Children worldwide experience mental and emotional disorders. Mental disorders occurring among young children, especially infants (birth-3 years), often go unrecognized. Prevalence rates are difficult to determine because of lack of awareness and difficulty assessing and diagnosing We acknowledge the invaluable assistance of Mallika Rajamani in the preparation of this article. We have no conflicts of interest to declare.
Australasian Psychiatry, Dec 1, 2006
Methods: A cross-sectional survey with a purpose designed self-report questionnaire was used to a... more Methods: A cross-sectional survey with a purpose designed self-report questionnaire was used to assess the attitudes and practices of 47 perinatal and infant psychiatry clinicians in their use and understanding of motherinfant psychotherapy. Results: Seventy per cent of clinicians in this field of psychotherapy who responded to the questionnaire subscribe to a psychodynamic model, although cognitive behavioural models are also used. The interventions were mostly used in conjunction with other interventions, would be more accurately described as 'parent-infant psychotherapy', and non-psychiatrists in the area tended to be more likely to be formally trained in psychotherapy, but only 4% were formally trained in specific mother-infant psychotherapy. There was a unanimous request for further clinical training in this area. Conclusions: The emerging field of perinatal psychiatry needs to develop coherent therapeutic models and conduct outcome trials on specific interventions. Specific trainings in these models, in assessment and in diagnostic frameworks are required to enhance clinical efficacy, for research and service development purposes.
Psychoanalytic Dialogues, Jul 4, 2018
We address some of the individual points that Lombardi makes, some that we agree with and some th... more We address some of the individual points that Lombardi makes, some that we agree with and some that as infant mental health clinicians we do not agree with—for example, that at the beginning of life the mind is still not there—and try to show why we think that is.
Psychoanalytic Dialogues, May 4, 2017
Royal Children's and Royal Women's Hospitals Melbourne Infants' innate joyful sexuality in the 1s... more Royal Children's and Royal Women's Hospitals Melbourne Infants' innate joyful sexuality in the 1st year, as well as parental sexuality, are relatively neglected in models of clinical work with infants. We offer a developmental perspective that pays close attention to the body of the infant, in contrast to some psychoanalytic theories that view infantile sexuality as phantasy. With greater awareness of the infant's body as sexual, therapists could develop a more resonant countertransference and become more aware of the experiences of the infant as subject. Some symptomatic difficulties are described, and the relevance for psychotherapeutic intervention with adults is indicated. The sexuality of the ordinary infant in the "good-enough" infant-parent relationship has not been given significant recognition, either in the traditional psychoanalytic models, with the overemphasis on phantasy, or in models of clinical work with infants. Acknowledging the baby as a person with his or her own body, sensuality and sexuality, is vitally important in order to better understand ordinary development and deepen clinical work, and captures something, we hope, of the joyful erotism, of Maurice Sendak's (1970) naked baby tumbling through the night. Arising out of clinical work with infants and their families, influenced by the work of Winnicott, who regarded the baby as a subject of intervention, there is a need to highlight further critical dimensions of the infant and infant-parent relationship, namely, the essential sexuality of the infant. The topics of sexuality, sex, and gender in the 1st year are explored from a confluence of perspectives from psychoanalytic work with adult patients, infant clinical work, infant research, and psychoanalytic infant observation, and whether what has seemed important in the classical instinct theories applies in light of our own infant mental work. What we describe emerges in most caregiver relationships, most often with mother and father. Eroticism and the biology of sexuality, neurophysiological stimulation, and psycho-physiological response underpin the normal erotism necessary for adult sexuality and reproduction; for the infant, the pleasure of feeding and the sensuality of skin and genitals underpin enjoyable sexuality and the sense of self and self-esteem, provided that bodily excitement in the erotogenic zones is not too overwhelming Correspondence should be addressed to Frances Thomson
Neuropsychiatrie De L'enfance Et De L'adolescence, Jul 1, 2012
Becoming a parent is to be met with some of life's most profound responsibilities. Not surpri... more Becoming a parent is to be met with some of life's most profound responsibilities. Not surprisingly, therefore, when parents already have emotional problems and their infant appears physically sick, or parent- infant issues exist, there are likely to be significant interactions with a paediatric hospital. These issues are the subject matter of this chapter.
This book will be of interest to those child psychotherapists, infant mental health practitioners... more This book will be of interest to those child psychotherapists, infant mental health practitioners and other professionals who work therapeutically with parents, infants and toddlers. Babies should ...