VIG has a strong evidence base
VIG is one of the evidence-based video feedback interventions recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to promote secure attachment in children and young people in care, or at high risk of going into care (NICE NG26, 2015).
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NICE recommends video feedback to support families with children with autism (NICE CG170, 2013, updated 2021), and to support the social and emotional well-being of children in their early years (NICE PH40, 2012).
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The November 2019 Cochrane Review endorses video feedback interventions to enhance sensitivity in parents of children who are at risk for poor attachment outcomes due to a range of difficulties (Cochrane 2019).
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VIG is also highlighted for use by organisations and professionals from CASCADE (Children's Social Care Research and Development Centre), Parent Infant Foundation, Association of Infant Mental Health (AiMH), Togetherness, The Royal Foundation, NSPCC, Maternal Mental Health Alliance, AIT Netherlands, and many more. VIG principles are also being used as part of projects like the Welsh B.E.A.R.s initiative (see their poster here). ​
reSearch Database
You can also search our expanding database for VIG and VERP related research and papers about the evidence base. Learn more below about the evidence base and specialist application of VIG and VERP with pre-term babies, parents with mental health difficulties (including psychosis), children who have been neglected or are on the edge of care, children or parents with neurodiversity, and children or adults with learning disabilities.
Key research
finding
In 2008, a meta-analysis of 29 video feedback studies showed that video feedback produced statistically significant improvement in parenting sensitivity (effect size 0.49); parenting behaviour and attitudes (effect size 0.37); and child development (effect size 0.33) for children aged 0 – 8 years (Fukkink et al 2008). Many of these studies involved ‘high risk’ dyads (e.g. low socio-economic status 63%; parent clinical problems 17%; child clinical problems 52%) (Graph shown is in Kennedy et al, 2011).
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Fukkink explored further this 2008 meta-analysis. In Chapter 4 (Kennedy, Landor & Todd, 2011), he differentiated the impact of VIG from other video feedback interventions: ‘What is the evidence that VIG is effective?’. Click here for a list of additional pertinent publications, or search our reSearch Database.
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Specialist applications of VIG and the evidence base
VIG is now reported as #1 most popular intervention delivered by Specialised Parent-Infant Relationship Teams, over the UK Parent-Infant Foundation, 2025
VIG with pre-term babies
Two randomised control trials (RCTs) have shown the effectiveness of VIG for parents of premature babies, in terms of enhanced sensitivity and improvements in attachment patterns. ​We also have postive research evidence and feedback direct from Neo-Natal Unit psychologists.
"I really like the baby cues that we learnt from the additional visits... just being able to get some idea of what he wants, that's magical that, that's really really good"
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Parent of preterm baby
Barlow et al 2016 reported on a pilot randomised control trial to examine whether VIG provides effective support for early interaction between babies born preterm and their parents. 31 parents were recruited from a neonatal intensive care unit in the UK and were randomised into two groups.
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Following discharge from the unit all families were offered usual community health care; the intervention group received three additional visits where VIG was offered. Semi-structured interviews were conducted following the intervention. The analysis indicated that all parents found the VIG intervention acceptable, and many found it extremely beneficial.Hoffencamp et al 2015 carried out a large scale randomised control trial in the Netherlands where VIG was delivered to both parents while the infants were in a neonatal intensive care unit. There were 210 infants (70 term, 70 extreme pre-term, and 70 near-term) from 7 hospitals.One of the interesting results showed that 3 sessions of VIG in the first week of life has a significant positive effect on parent-infant bonding (as measured by the Post-partum Bonding Questionnaire, PBQ, Brockington et al 2006). There was an enhanced effect for all fathers and mothers who experienced the birth as traumatic.
"VIG helped me feel more confident. It reminded me that, even on the neonatal unit, I'm still my baby's parent - and that I matter in their care"
"I worried about the time that we missed when I wasn't able to...hold him all the time or be with him...and worried about the kind of bond [we'd have]... so having those visits...looking at that... seeing that it was already there, was really helpful for me"
"I think it was incredible to watch and to see from such a small baby, that already they are giving you some communication... to think that there's some communication from babies, is really wow. It's really good" ​
VIG with parents with mental health difficulties
Several studies have shown that VIG can be very effective where parents are struggling with mental health difficulties. VIG is being used by NHS perinatal services and is recommended by affiliated organisations like the Parent Infant Foundation. We also now have recent research on the use of VIG with mothers with psychosis, using VIG in Perinatal Settings,
Gray (2017) carried out a pilot study which demonstrated that Video Interaction Guidance is an extremely effective intervention that meets a need that may otherwise be unmet. Parent-infant dyads with difficulties within the relationship, ranging from mild to severe, were helped effectively with a relatively brief intervention of VIG (3- 14 sessions). Average scores significantly improved following the intervention, on measures of parental anxiety, depression, confidence, maternal perception of the relationship with her baby, and on individualised goals.
For many parents, video footage showed improvement in parent-infant interaction from the first to last film; due to limited resources it was not possible to formally evaluate this improvement within the scope of the pilot. The feedback from the women who took part, and the referrers, has been overwhelmingly positive.
The evidence is clear and compelling that VIG is an essential piece of the jigsaw for supporting women and their babies in the perinatal period. VIG can be used alonside and enhances the effectiveness of other interventions. When VIG is missing, some women remain stuck in difficulties that will have a huge impact on the socio-emotional development of their babies, and their own future mental health.
VIG can be helpful in supporting families where there has been neglect. The NSPCC service evaluation (2015) documents VIG as an effective intervention in supporting parents to listen to, and understand, their children better. The NICE Guideline on Child abuse and neglect (NG76, 2017) recommends support for parent-child interaction. Although the Guidance does not explicitly mentioning video feedback, VIG is an intervention that can help to meet this goal.
Social worker: "I find VIG to be the most effective intervention in my toolkit to help parents gain confidence and build attachment with their children. The short turnaround and low number of sessions with VIG makes it particularly effective, as it fits in with the timescales of the child and court. I have used VIG successfully with families on PLO and child protection plans where there have been concerns about neglect."
VIG on the edge of care
VIG is effective in working with families on the edge of care, to support parents and carers to engage in change that is crucial to the question of whether or not the family can meet the child’s needs.
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Celebi and Carr-Hopkins (2018) report on the use of VIG by the family courts. VIG may be recommended by an expert witness (a psychologist or social worker):
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as part of an assessment process (to see whether the parent is motivated and has the capacity to make use of VIG), or
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as part of an intervention package.
By increasing a parent’s capacity to mentalize through VIG, there is the potential for increased parental sensitivity and a reduction in risk.
The authors offer two important caveats:
1) Complex cases need experienced practitioners, with sufficient clinical and court experience, plus appropriate reflective supervision
2) VIG is often successful yet not a panacea. A successful VIG intervention does not mean that a parent will be able to successfully meet all their child’s needs.
In addition, if VIG is ordered by the court, rather than chosen by the family, the family may show superficial engagement, which does not equal a desire to change.
VIG and neurodiversity
As mentioned above, NICE recommends video feedback to support families with children with autism (NICE CG170, 2013, updated 2021).
We also have an increasing evidence-base for the effective use of VIG/VERP with neurodiverse children and/or neurodiverse parents, and by practitioners working in this field. Additionally there are numerous articles in the e-journal Attuned Interactions regarding the use of VIG with children with autism. There are also a number of researchers in this field, please search within our Research Database to find a myiad of articles in this important growth area.
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Supporting synchrony and attunement in parents/carers and autistic children
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Dr Devyn Glass
University of Sussex, England
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Rebecca Newman and Remy English
Cardiff, Wales
VIG Books and Publications
VIG online journal
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Click here for Attuned Interactions, the online journal for VIG, featuring articles by VIG practitioners and supervisors, initiated by Miriam Landor.
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Delafield-Butt, J. and Reddy, V. (2025) Intersubjective Minds: Rhythm, Sympathy and Human Being. Oxford: OUP.
Celebi, M. (2017) Weaving the cradle: facilitating groups to promote attunement and bonding between parents, their babies and toddlers. London: Jessica Kingsley
Kennedy, H., Landor, M. and Todd, L. (2011). Video Interaction Guidance: A Relationship-Based Intervention to Promote Attunement, Empathy and Wellbeing. London: Jessica Kingsley
Kennedy, H., Landor, M. and Todd, L. eds (2015) Video Enhanced Reflective Practice : Professional Development through Attuned Interaction. London: Jessica Kingsley
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Shaw, M. and Bailey S. (2018) Justice for Children and Families - Chapter 10 - Why Video Interaction Guidance in the Family Drug and Alcohol Court?
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Working with Support Teams for People with Intellectual Disabilities: Collaborative approaches to Psychological Interventions (2025) - Chapter 10 - Using Video Interaction Guidance to improve interactions between people with intellectual disabilities and their support workers – Sheridan Forster and Meredith Prain
Click on this link for a list of key publications about VIG.​
