ABSTRACT
Depressive symptoms may compromise the ability of low-income Latina mothers with limited English language proficiency to parent their infants or toddlers. Eighty Early Head Start Latina mothers with limited English language proficiency were randomized to an advanced practice nurse-delivered, culturally tailored, in-home psychotherapy intervention, or to usual care. Repeated measures regression analysis showed a significantly greater decrease in depressive symptoms for intervention mothers compared to the usual care group at 22 and 26 weeks (4 weeks post intervention). Intervention mothers' reports of their child's aggression diminished significantly from T1 to T4 compared to usual care mothers (p = .03). Self-efficacy appeared to only partially mediate the intervention effect, and maternal health moderated the intervention impact. Results indicate that the intervention reduced depressive symptoms and, compared to previous studies in this population, retention of mothers in both intervention and control conditions was improved.
Subject(s)
Depression/prevention & control , Early Intervention, Educational/methods , Hispanic or Latino/psychology , Home Nursing/methods , Mothers/psychology , Psychiatric Nursing/methods , Adult , Depression/psychology , Female , Humans , Infant , Male , Psychiatric Status Rating Scales , Regression Analysis , Self EfficacyABSTRACT
A randomized trial of in-home psychotherapy for depressive symptoms that targeted low-income mothers of infants and toddlers used innovative design features to reduce stigma and enhance acceptability. Despite these features, advanced practice psychiatric mental health nurses used specialized, relationship-based strategies to engage and retain these high-risk mothers in the intervention. Data revealed that the nurses needed to diligently maintain contact, provide encouragement, use empathy for rapid assessment and response, and control the intensity of the relationship-based contacts in order to retain mothers.
