Implementation of Mellow Parenting Program in Turkey: Preliminary Results of Evaluation of the First "Mellow Bumps Training"

Tolga Dagli

Marmara University Faculty of Medicine

Dr. Tolga Dagli is a professor of pediatric surgery and pediatric urology in Marmara University Faculty of Medicine in Istanbul, Turkey. He has been working in the area of child maltreatment prevention since 2001. He has been the founder of the hospital-based multidisciplinary team in Marmara University in 2009 and acts as the Director of Marmara University Child Protection Center, Istanbul, Turkey. He has conducted research, participated in numerous trainings and provided consultation for the project about developing interdisciplinary guides and training materials regarding child maltreatment prevention and case management. Since 2010 Dr. Dagli has been a active member of Child Protection Centers Coordination Board and President of Child Protection Centers Support Society in Turkey. He is an active ISPCAN member since 2010 and he was involved in the Organizing Committee of the 19th ISPCAN International Congress on Child Abuse and Neglect held in Istanbul in 2012.

Figen Sahin Dagli

Gazi University Faculty of Medicine

Working as a full-time Professor of Pediatrics in Medical Faculty and Children’s Hospital of Gazi University, Figen Sahin Dagli also directs the Gazi University Child Protection Center, the first multidisciplinary hospital-based unit in Turkey. She has facilitated the formation of such teams in many hospitals in the nation. She has served as the president of Turkish Society for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (TSPCAN) during 2005-2010 and is still working actively in the board as the vice president. She was the co-chair of Organizing Committee of the 19th ISPCAN International Congress on Child Abuse and Neglect held in Istanbul in 2012. She works as a consultant and trainer in various projects about prevention of child abuse and neglect in Turkey. She lectures about child abuse in medical school as well as other faculties such as nursing, social work and child development.She is an ISPCAN member since 2000, and she joined to ISPCAN Executive Council in 2014. She is currently the chair of the Training and Education Committee of the ISPCAN Executive Council.

Abstract

Mellow Parenting Program which is developed originally in Scotland and implemented in other countries such as Russia, Tajikistan, Moldova, New Zealand and Germany, aims to promote parent child relationships. It is an attachment based early intervention program with proven results equipping practitioners with the necessary tools to help families in need. It has different programs designed for pregnant women (Mellow bumps), mothers and fathers (Mellow mums and dads) which focuses on 0-1 year old children (Mellow infants) and 1-3 year old children (Mellow toddlers). Each Mellow mums or dads program is combined with either Mellow infants or Mellow toddlers program. These programs involve participation, modelling, group discussions, video feedback, personal reflection, lunchtime activities and home practice.

Although different programs for positive parenting are being practiced in Turkey, they are neither attachment based nor they involve video feedback. Considering the importance of these properties, it is planned to start a pilot group to evaluate the program in our culture to see whether it is effective and culturally appropriate for Turkish parents. As a first step, 4 professionels working in different areas of child protection attended to a facilitators’ training in Glasgow, Scotland. After this training, the first Mellow bumps group was formed with 9 volunteers who are in the second trimester of their pregnancies. The program lasted for 6 weeks as designed and a qualitative evaluation was performed at the end. The feedback received from these participants revealed that this antenatal program is a useful tool which provides a structure for discussing parent-infant interaction and managing emotions. Participants said that the program increased their emotional well being, they enjoyed sharing experiences with the facilitators and other pregnant women, it helped them to attach to their unborn babies and they found answers to their questions about pregnancy, child birth and child health.

Authors

Tolga Dagli (Marmara University Faculty of Medicine)
Figen Sahin Dagli (Gazi University Faculty of Medicine)
Hatice Kaynak (Ankara Bar Association)
Ozlem Korel (Marmara University Child Protection Center)

Topic Area

Training Professionals and Education of children and families

Session

Oral 8 » Session 2- Training Professionals (14:15 - Monday, 2nd October, Europe 1 Room)

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