Integrated Behavioral Health
Research Projects

Research Projects

The Integrated Behavioral Health (IBH) research program is dedicated to advancing innovative approaches that improve the health and well-being of children and families. Our research, seamlessly integrated into pediatric primary care practices, centers on evaluating innovative prevention interventions, including IBH-Prevention, which is designed to prevent and address emotional and behavioral health disorders, and THRIVE, a responsive parenting obesity prevention intervention. Additionally, our work includes the evaluation and expansion of our IBH prevention model into community primary care settings, aiming to extend the reach of high-quality, integrated services.  We are also pioneering a brief home-visiting intervention in collaboration with Every Child Succeeds, designed to extend integrated preventive services into families' homes.

Guided by our commitment to a two-generation model of care, we prioritize the interconnected well-being of children and their caregivers. In line with this approach, we are also evaluating the impact of Moving Beyond Depression, a program designed to treat maternal postpartum depression and promote family health and harmony. Through these research efforts, we strive to refine and enhance our program, ensuring equitable access to transformative care that supports lifelong health and happiness for children and their families.

Current Projects

A Novel Obesity Prevention Program for High-Risk Infants in Primary Care

This NIDDK-funded project evaluates THRIVE, an early-life obesity prevention program delivered in pediatric primary care that supports responsive parenting and healthy growth in infancy. The study aims to reduce early risk factors for obesity by promoting caregiver attunement to infant cues related to feeding, sleep, soothing, and routines.

Project Period: 2023-2026
Funding: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases - R01DK135497-01
PI: Tiffany Rybak, PhD

Advancing Early Childhood Obesity Intervention: Creating a Robust Measure of Child and Caregiver Eating and Feeding Behaviors

This project is developing and validating a comprehensive measure of early eating and feeding behaviors to improve precision in identifying obesity risk and intervention targets in early childhood. The measure captures three key domains that shape early growth and obesity risk: child eating behaviors, caregiver feeding behaviors, and the mealtime context/environment. Findings will strengthen our ability to assess caregiver-child mealtime dynamics and eating behavior patterns across diverse families, supporting both research and clinical intervention strategies in pediatric primary care.

Project Period: 2024-2026
Funding: Cincinnati Children's Place Outcomes Research Award
PIs: Tiffany Rybak, PhD and Constance Mara, PhD

Past Projects

Every Child Succeeds Expansion: Linkage to Primary Care

The purpose of this project was to develop and pilot test a brief home visiting intervention that was an extension of our integrated behavioral health program. Focused on prevention, the intervention was initially developed using the design studio method in which the input of multiple stakeholders was synthesized to create an ecologically valid and responsive approach. In the next phase, the intervention (1-6 home visits) was pilot tested to determine feasibility, acceptability, and proximal improvements based on pre-post assessments.

Project Period: 2023-2025
Funding: Cincinnati Children's Convalescent Hospital Fund
PIs: Jennifer Frey, PhD, BCBA-D and Robert T. Ammerman, PhD, ABPP

Integrated Behavioral Health Prevention in Pediatric Primary Care: Improving Self-Regulation and Outcomes for Infants and Parents

This study comprised a small clinical trial of Integrated Behavioral Health-Prevention in early infancy. Pre-post measures of attunement, parenting knowledge, infant behavioral health, and parenting stress were administered. Findings were used to refine and enhance IBH in the first year of life.

Project Period: 2021-2023
Funding: Cincinnati Children's Place Outcomes Research Award
PI: Robert T. Ammerman, PhD, ABPP

Pediatric Behavioral Health Integration Project

This project involved refinement and standardization of Integrated Behavioral Health-Prevention using quality improvement methods. Processes were developed and modified to improve reach, engagement, and short-term outcomes. A change package was created to assist pediatric primary care practices in adopting the model.

Project Period: 2019-2021
Funding: Medicaid Technical Assistance and Policy Program (MEDTAPP), Ohio Department of Medicaid
PI: Robert T. Ammerman, PhD, ABPP