The usefulness of the Evaluation of Social Interaction in a mother and baby mental health unit

Statement of context: Perinatal services treat mothers with mental health problems while supporting and enabling mother–infant bonding and attachment alongside the occupational demands of safe and effective parenting.Critical reflection on practice: Robust assessment and evidence-based interventions appropriate to this setting are required, but the efficacy of these for mothers diagnosed with mental health problems in the perinatal period is unknown. The Evaluation of Social Interaction was introduced into a mother and baby mental health unit to address this need.Implications for practice: The Evaluation of Social Interaction provided specific information on social interaction skills that supported and limited competent social interactions necessary for mothering, enabling mothers to understand strengths and limitations when interacting with their babies and other key social partners during parenting occupations.