Predictors of outcome in infant and toddlers functional or behavioral disorders after a brief parent–infant psychotherapy

The efficacy of parent–child psychotherapies is widely recognized today. There are, however, less data on predictive factors for outcome in infants and toddlers and their parents. The aim of this study was to highlight predictive factors for outcome after a brief psychotherapy in a population of 49 infants and toddlers aged 3–30 months presenting functional or behavioral disorders. Two assessments were performed, the first before treatment and the second a month after the end of the therapy. These assessments included an evaluation of the child’s symptoms, and of depressive or anxiety symptoms in the parents. The assessments after therapy show complete or partial improvement in the child’s symptoms for nearly three quarters, and a decrease in the number of anxious and depressive mothers, and also in the number of depressive fathers. Three independent factors appear as predictive of unfavorable outcome for the child: frequency and intensity of behavioral problems and fears, and the absence of the father at more than two-thirds of consultations. The outcome for the mother is associated solely with her anxiety score at the start of the therapy. This study underlines the particular difficulties involved in the treatment of infants and toddlers presenting behavioral disturbances and emotional difficulties, and the value of involving the father in treatment

SSETI ESEO New Zealand Ground Station Project

The paper outlines the currently ongoing project aimed at developing a fully operational Student Space Exploration and Technology Initiative (SSETI) New Zealand Ground Station for the European Student Earth Orbiter (ESAO) satellite scheduled for launching in 2009. The proposed ground station will provide additional satellite communication facilities enabling efficient data exchange with the ESSAO when it passes over the Pacific region, i.e., when its communication with the Europe-based Ground Stations is limited or not possible. The ground station will be linked to the Mission Control Center in europe via secure tunnels over the Internet to relay telemetry data and telecommand information