Featured Abstract: Impacts of Home-Visiting Programs

Researchers in the Netherlands studied the impact of mental health home visitors on depressed mothers and their infants:

This study examined the effect of a mother–baby intervention on the quality of mother–child interaction, infant–mother attachment security, and infant socioemotional functioning in a group of depressed mothers with infants aged 1–12 months. A randomized controlled trial compared an experimental group (n = 35) receiving the intervention (8–10 home visits) with a control group (n = 36) receiving parenting support by telephone. There were assessments pre, post, and follow-up after 6 months. The intervention had positive effects on the quality of mother–infant interaction. Infants in the experimental group had higher scores for attachment security and for one aspect of socioemotional functioning, namely, competence. The intervention proved successful in preventing deterioration of the quality of mother–child interaction.

 

 

 

 

Maternal depression can harm mother-child attachment and put children at risk for a host of negative outcomes. Trained home-visitors (master’s degree or graduate education in pscyhology, social psyciatry, or health education/prevention) visited mothers 8 to 10 times, videotaped them caring for or interacting with their babies, and helped them to improve interactions and communication with the children. Visitors modeled techniques for mothers, used cognitive restructuring to help them change negative thinking associated with depression, provided practical advice on dealing with parenting challenges, and tought them baby massage to improve mother-child contact. The intervention improved maternal sensitivity and infants’ attachment security.