The BeST? Services Trial:
effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the New Orleans Intervention Model for Infant Mental Health
The Trial was completed in February 2024.
BeST? was a randomised controlled trial comparing an infant mental health service - The New Orleans Intervention Model (NIM) - with Social Work Services -As-Usual. The purpose of the trial was to determine the best service for young abused and neglected pre-school children entering foster care.
In Glasgow, health and social work teams offered two new services for children entering foster care:
- Family Assessment and Contact Services (FACS)
- Glasgow Infant and Family Team (GIFT)
In South London a range of social work services for children entering foster care were compared with the London Infant and Family Team (LIFT).
The aims of the BeST? Services Research Trial was to understand which service most effectively supports children's development. Families were invited to take part if they had a child aged between 0-5 years who was entering a foster care episode in either Glasgow or South London.
BeST? Findings Article - Infant mental health services from birth and foster families of maltreated pre-school children in foster care (BeST?):a cluster-randomized phase 3 clinical effectiveness trial
BeST? Trial Findings - Animation
Information Videos and Media Clips
STV News 2.5.25 - System failures in Scottish Care 'putting children's mental health at risk'
Quick clip about the BeST? Services Trial
The BeST? Services Trial - A New Opportunity
Information for Legal Professionals
Professor Helen Minnis, Principal Investigator - Overview of the Trial
BeST? Services Trial Findings - Scottish voiceover
BeST? Services Trial Findings - English voiceover
Hearts & Minds - BeST? Outcomes for Children in Middle Childhood
We conducted a pilot study with children aged 7-10 years who had previously taken part in the BeST? Services Trial. The purpose of this pilot was to assess the feasibility of re-engaging these children for follow-up and to evaluate a range of biological and psychological measures related to stress responsivity. Insights from this pilot will guide the design of a larger study aimed at understanding why some maltreated children go on to develop mental and physical health difficulties, while other show resilience.