A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of the Family Assessment and Feedback Intervention (FAFI): Effects on Mental Health Literacy and Attitudinal Engagement with Health Supports and Services

Authors

• Masha Y. Ivanova, University of Vermont
• Stanley Weinberger, University of Vermont
• Sara L. Buckingham, University of Alaska, Anchorage
• William E. Copeland, University of Vermont
• Phoenix Crockett, University of Vermont
• Justin Dainer-Best, Bard College
• Casey D'Alberto, University of Vermont
• Lauren Dewey, University of Vermont
• DeShan Foret, University of Alaska, Fairbanks
• Maria Galano, University of Massachusetts Amherst
• Lisa Goodrich, University of Vermont Medical Center
• Lindsay E. Holly, Marquette UniversityFollow
• Nalini Lane, University of Vermont
• Mathew Lerner, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
• Jasmine Marsh, University of Vermont
• Ellen McGinnis, University of Vermont
• Melissa Paiva-Salisbury, Coastal Carolina University
• Pamela Swift, University of Vermont
• Rebekah Tinker, University of Vermont
• James J. Hudziak, University of Vermont

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

4-2026

Publisher

Springer

Source Publication

Child Psychiatry & Human Development

Source ISSN

0009-398X

Original Item ID

DOI: 10.1007/s10578-024-01707-0

Abstract

This randomized controlled trial tested the Family Assessment and Feedback Intervention (FAFI), a new intervention to enhance family engagement with emotional and behavioral health services. The FAFI is a guided conversation with families about results of their multidimensional assessment that is set in the context of motivational enhancement. It differs from other assessment-with-feedback interventions by extending the focus of assessment beyond the target child to parents and the family environment, addressing parental emotional and behavioral problems and competencies, spanning a broad range of children’s and parents’ strengths and difficulties, and being generalizable to many settings and practitioners. Participants were 81 families in primary care pediatrics. The FAFI was associated with a significant increase in parental mental health literacy and with an increase in parental attitudinal engagement with health supports and services that closely approached statistical significance (p = .052), while controlling for children’s age and gender and family socioeconomic status.

Comments

Child Psychiatry & Human Development, Vol. 57, No. 2 (April 2026): 381-389. DOI.

Recommended Citation

Ivanova, Masha Y.; Weinberger, Stanley; Buckingham, Sara L.; Copeland, William E.; Crockett, Phoenix; Dainer-Best, Justin; D'Alberto, Casey; Dewey, Lauren; Foret, DeShan; Galano, Maria; Goodrich, Lisa; Holly, Lindsay E.; Lane, Nalini; Lerner, Mathew; Marsh, Jasmine; McGinnis, Ellen; Paiva-Salisbury, Melissa; Swift, Pamela; Tinker, Rebekah; and Hudziak, James J., "A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of the Family Assessment and Feedback Intervention (FAFI): Effects on Mental Health Literacy and Attitudinal Engagement with Health Supports and Services" (2026). Psychology Faculty Research and Publications. 686.
https://epublications.marquette.edu/psych_fac/686