Overview
This informative and accessible text invites readers to engage with the latest developments and debates in the field of infant and family mental health and wellbeing from a multi-disciplinary perspective. Bringing together a rich collection of knowledge and experience, unique insights are provided into aspects of family life, from attachment, attunement and bonding to therapeutic interventions and compassion. Each chapter shines a light on the importance of respectful early interventions and provides ethical and evidence-based strategies to promote healthy development and to empower parents and caregivers to support their child's (and their own) emotional and psychological needs. Spotlights on research and practice, reflective questions and case studies weave throughout to further consolidate knowledge and to bring theory to life. Critically reflecting on current policy and practice, this book advocates for an inclusive approach and underscores the significance of early experiences in shaping a child's mental health and overall development. It will be key reading for early childhood students, educators, healthcare professionals, and anyone interested in supporting families during the crucial early years.
Full Product Details
Author: Helen Simmons ,
Robin Sturman-Coombs
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd
Imprint: Routledge
ISBN: 9781032961408
ISBN 10: 1032961406
Pages: 222
Publication Date: 11 March 2026
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Professional and scholarly
,
Tertiary & Higher Education
,
Professional & Vocational
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming
Availability: Not yet available
This item is yet to be released. You can pre-order this item and we will dispatch it to you upon its release.
Reviews
The mental health and wellbeing of parents is key in terms of how well a parent is able to give their baby the best start in life. Promoting Infant and Family Mental Health and Wellbeing is as such a timely contribution to the field because it builds on and advances recent thinking in the field, deconstructing contemporary debates about the lives of infants and families. - Professor Jane Barlow, Professor of Evidence Based Intervention and Policy Evaluation, University of Oxford
Author Information
Dr Robin Sturman-Coombs is a Senior Social Work Academic and registered Social Worker with Social Work England and the British Association of Social Workers. Before entering academia, he gained extensive experience working in Child Protection and Safeguarding, managing complex cases from referral through to initial court hearings. Robin is passionate about teaching and committed to enhancing student learning and development in higher education. His dedication to social work fuels his growing interest in how higher education institutions prepare students to apply intuitive reasoning in social work practice. He has a strong focus on attachment, bonding and relationships, teaching a diverse range of students from foundation degree to master’s level. An advanced trainer in fostering and adoption, Robin has published widely on topics related to attachment, research and his doctoral thesis. Dr Helen Simmons is Course Leader for the MA in Infant and Family Mental Health and Wellbeing, and a Senior Lecturer in Education at The University of Northampton, England. Helen is Co-Vice Chair for Policy, Lobbying and Advocacy for the Early Childhood Studies Degrees Network (ECSDN), a Trustee Board Member for The Association for Infant Mental Health (AiMH) and a Doctor of Education. Her teaching, research and publications centre on early childhood, and infant and family mental health and wellbeing, with a particular focus on the sociology of childhood, motherhood and parenting, and the promotion of a critically reflective early childhood workforce.
