IDHP science shows...
Child mental health is inextricably interconnected with caregiver mental health– so, the most effective mental health interventions support the whole family.
IDHP science shows...
The impact of stressful experiences on health can span generations, and pregnancy is a unique window of opportunity for stress reduction programs to benefit two generations.
IDHP science shows...
Key aspects of a family's environment can buffer the impacts of stress on child and caregiver health, especially when caregivers are provided with the resources and supports needed to spend quality time with their children, as well as care for their own wellbeing.

The Intergenerational Developmental Health Program (IDHP) at UCSF, directed by Professor Nicki Bush, PhD, brings together the expertise of researchers, healthcare providers, community groups, policy advocates, and policymakers working to improve the wellbeing of children and their families. Through these coordinated efforts across institutions and sectors, IDHP strives to develop a pipeline of reciprocal learning to enhance the science on intergenerational health and its translation into programs and policies that improve the lives of children and families.

Our mission is based on findings from decades of scientific inquiry, which built upon centuries of philosophical and spiritual texts and oral traditions. This work has cemented the interconnected system of health and development between caregivers and their children, spanning generations, and beginning in utero. Our goal is to address barriers common to academic research, including siloed science with little collaboration across fields (e.g., psychology, medicine, public health) despite shared research aims and unclear pathways in leveraging scientific findings to inform policies and programs.

We believe in our science, which shows that effective promotion of children’s mental and physical health requires prevention and care for their whole families, starting in pregnancy. However, current prevention efforts are weak and deprioritized. Further, family-based services and community supports are severely lacking and, when available, difficult to access. IDHP believes we can and must do better, and doing so will require close, trusting collaboration between scholars and stakeholders. Join us in this effort and help to create a future that is...

Healthy Together

 

To learn more about our science, click on the Research tab on the upper right to access summaries of research sorted by topic area (or search for a word using the upper right corner search bar), or click on the Presentations tab to watch a video of a research presentation, summarizing the latest research.

Have questions? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected].