Innovation for the Human Experience

Building Brighter Futures: DU Research Advances Childhood Well-Being

From improving prenatal mental health care to supporting foster youth, the University of Denver ensures a strong first step forward. By exploring the complex interplay of individual, familial and community factors that influence the critical years of infancy through adolescence, DU faculty are enhancing how we approach these crucial developmental stages of life.
 

Linking Prenatal Mental Healthcare to Healthier Pregnancies

New DU research underscores the importance of mental health care for pregnant people, recognizing that treating depression during pregnancy can lead to longer gestation time and healthier babies.

“Being born early — shortened gestation — is one of the most widely known risk factors for a number of different child developmental outcomes,” says psychology professor Elysia Davis, who led the study alongside researchers at Denver Health and CU Anschutz.

They found that participants who were assigned to psychotherapy experienced greater reductions in depressive symptoms. In turn, the reduction of maternal depression across pregnancy was associated with lengthened gestation. 

These findings reinforce the importance of expanding access to prenatal mental health resources to promote lifelong health benefits for both mothers and their children.

• Proactive Ways to Support Your Mental Well-Being During Pregnancy

  As Davis says, mental health and physical health are strongly correlated. So taking care of your mental health is just as important as taking care of your physical health during pregnancy, for you and for your baby. Here are five ways you can improve your mental health when you’re expecting:

  1. Stay Active: Engage in regular, moderate exercise like walking, swimming or prenatal yoga. Physical activity can boost your mood and reduce anxiety.
  2. Eat a Balanced Diet: Nutrition plays a crucial role in mental health. Eating a variety of healthy foods can help stabilize your mood and energy levels.
  3. Practice Mindfulness and Relaxation Techniques: Techniques such as meditation, deep breathing exercises and prenatal massage can help reduce stress and promote relaxation.
  4. Build a Support Network: Surround yourself with supportive friends, family or join a prenatal support group. Having a strong social network can provide emotional support and reduce feelings of isolation.
  5. Seek Professional Help: If you're feeling overwhelmed, don't hesitate to reach out to a mental health professional. Therapy or counseling can provide valuable support and coping strategies.

Understanding the Power of Positive Childhood Experiences

Just as the mental health of pregnant people can impact unborn babies, parents’ childhood experiences can have a profound effect on their growing children.

In the Promoting Resilience in Offspring and Targeting Early Childhood Trajectories (PROTECT) Lab, DU researchers study the intergenerational transmission of risk and resilience.

Led by Angela Narayan, an associate professor of psychology, the PROTECT Lab is exploring how “benevolent childhood experiences” (BCEs) can protect against trauma and adversity. Narayan’s research suggests that recovering from past traumatic events and fostering positive experiences can help break cycles of intergenerational trauma, offering a pathway to resilience for both children and parents.

“The driving, burning question that propels my work is, ‘What are the resilience factors that help people and parents overcome hardships and raise the healthiest kids and families?'” Narayan says. 

Her work demonstrates that parents who recall their own positive childhood experiences are more likely to create nurturing environments for their children. This insight has led to interventions that encourage individuals to identify and build upon positive experiences, whether in therapy, education or community programs.

By shifting the focus from mitigating negative childhood experiences to actively promoting positive ones, Narayan’s research offers a promising framework for improving mental health and family well-being across generations.

• Raise Happy, Resilient Kids with These Five Strategies

  Focusing on positive childhood experiences can help parents create a nurturing environment for their children. Here are five ways parents can concentrate on these positive experiences:

  1. Reflect on Your Own Positive Memories: Take time to recall and share your own happy childhood moments with your children. This can help you identify the types of experiences you want to recreate for them.
  2. Create New Positive Traditions: Establish family traditions that promote joy and togetherness, such as weekly game nights, family outings or special holiday rituals. These traditions can become cherished memories for your children.
  3. Encourage Play and Exploration: Allow your children to engage in unstructured play and explore their interests. Providing a safe and supportive environment for play can foster creativity and a sense of adventure.
  4. Foster Strong Relationships: Build and maintain strong, positive relationships within the family and with friends. Encourage your children to form healthy connections with others, which can provide emotional support and a sense of belonging.
  5. Practice Positive Reinforcement: Focus on praising and reinforcing your children's positive behaviors and achievements. This can boost their self-esteem and encourage them to continue engaging in positive activities.

Supporting Educational Success for Foster Youth 

Outside of the lab, DU faculty are turning their research into evidence-based action.

Students in foster care are precariously situated in the K-12 landscape. Instability in a student’s home and school life disrupts the consistent supportive structures that are crucial to academic success. That’s why only 30% of Colorado’s students in foster care will graduate alongside their peers this year.

To address this gap, Elysia Versen, now deputy director and chief operating officer at DU’s Colorado Lab, developed Fostering Opportunities — a student engagement intervention that is the first proven practice in Colorado to improve educational outcomes for students in foster care. The multi-year partnership between Colorado Lab and Jeffco Public Schools was developed and tested through the first state-funded Pay for Success Project in Colorado.

The key difference between Fostering Opportunities and existing support is that educational agencies lead the interventions, rather than child welfare or judicial systems. This approach ensures continuity of service after a child returns home or is adopted and their child welfare case closes. 

“Just because their child welfare case closes, or they're reunified with their families and the student is safe to live at home, doesn't mean that their academics are stabilized and they're doing really well in school,” says Versen. “We wanted to essentially bridge that gap and ensure that the student remains eligible for this program as long as they need it.”

A randomized control trial led by Colorado Lab researchers found that Fostering Opportunities led to better grades, increased attendance and fewer suspensions for students. 

The evidence-based success of the program prompted the state to reimburse the Colorado Gives Foundation for their initial investment, and the Colorado Lab is now providing implementation science support to help school districts deliver the model with fidelity.  

 

Strengthening Families Through Community-Based Support

In Denver’s low-income and subsidized housing communities, DU’s Your Family, Your Neighborhood (YFYN) program has helped hundreds of families strengthen their relationships and community ties since its inception in 2012. The program recently received a $160,000 grant from the Tony Grampsas Youth Services Program, allowing it to continue its dual-generation after-school initiatives.

YFYN brings families together for weekly sessions that include shared meals, educational activities and discussions on parenting strategies. Parents participate in skill-building workshops, while children engage in programs designed to enhance social-emotional development. 

YFYN has been tested through a feasibility study, pilot study, a quasi-experimental study and a group randomized control trial. These studies demonstrate that the initiative led to increased parental engagement in schools, stronger parent-child relationships and improved connections within the community. 

“We would love the program to be adopted in new subsidized housing communities throughout the Denver area, throughout Colorado and throughout the country,” says Daniel Brisson, the director of DU’s Center on Housing and Homelessness.

Drawing on the success of YFYN in Denver, a feasibility and acceptability study of YFYN was launched with the Paradise Valley School District in Phoenix, Arizona, in 2019. Preliminary findings indicate improvements in parent-child relationships, including parents feeling closer to their children, improved communication, families spending more time together and eating dinner together more often.

Through innovative research and community-driven initiatives, DU influences healthier futures for children and families. But what happens when children reach their late teens and twenties? As kids gain independence, DU researchers are uncovering the challenges and opportunities that shape the next pivotal stage of life: young adulthood.

• Five Ways to Build Stronger Families Through Community Involvement

  Improving the parent-child relationship is crucial for fostering a supportive and nurturing environment. Here are five ways parents can strengthen their bond with their children while also strengthening ties to the community:

  1. Participate in Community Activities Together: Engage in local events, such as community clean-ups, festivals or sports leagues. These activities provide opportunities for parents and children to bond while contributing to their community and building connections with neighbors.
  2. Join or Create Parent-Child Groups: Look for or start groups that focus on shared interests, such as book clubs, craft groups or outdoor adventure clubs. These groups can offer a supportive network for both parents and children, fostering a sense of belonging and shared experiences.
  3. Volunteer as a Family: Find local volunteer opportunities that you can do together, such as helping at a food bank, animal shelter or community garden. Volunteering teaches children the value of giving back and strengthens family bonds through shared meaningful activities.
  4. Attend Community Meetings and Events: Be active in local school board meetings, neighborhood associations or town hall events. Involving your child in these activities helps them understand the importance of civic engagement and allows you to work together on community issues.
  5. Organize Neighborhood Playdates and Gatherings: Host regular playdates, potlucks or block parties to bring families in your neighborhood together. These gatherings can help build a supportive community network and create a fun, social environment for children and parents alike.