Effects of an Early Home Visiting Program on Maternal Depression

Area of Science:

• Child Development
• Maternal Mental Health
• Intervention Science

Background:

• Maternal depression negatively impacts parenting and child development.
• Home visiting programs improve parenting and child outcomes but often require specialized professionals.
• Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up (ABC) is a home visiting program with no experience prerequisites for parent coaches.

Purpose of the Study:

• To replicate findings that ABC decreases maternal depressive symptoms across multiple sites.
• To explore if the effect of ABC on maternal depressive symptoms differs by ABC model (Newborn, Infant, Early Childhood).

Main Methods:

• A community sample of 163 families from six countries participated.
• Maternal depressive symptoms were assessed pre- and post-intervention.
• The study analyzed data from families who completed the ABC program.

Main Results:

• Maternal depressive symptom scores significantly decreased from pre-intervention to post-intervention.
• The reduction in depressive symptoms was observed regardless of the specific ABC model implemented.
• The findings were consistent across multiple implementation sites.

Conclusions:

• The Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up (ABC) program effectively reduces maternal depressive symptoms.
• Home visiting parenting interventions can utilize non-traditional providers to deliver essential support.
• ABC offers a scalable solution for supporting maternal mental health and child well-being.