Effects of a Prenatal Depression Preventive Intervention on Parenting and Young Children's Self-Regulation and Functioning (EPIC)

This project will evaluate the parenting and young child development outcomes associated with the Mothers and Babies (MB) intervention. MB is an evidence-based intervention that has been widely implemented in home visiting (HV) programs and has demonstrated efficacy in reducing depressive symptoms and preventing onset of major depression. The proposed R01 study will allow us to investigate crucial questions related to the longer-term effects of MB on parenting and young child development and to understand the mechanisms that illustrate how the intervention impacts these outcomes. At the start of this proposed R01, an estimated 1100 women will have been enrolled in a parent study funded by the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), with roughly 920 receiving the MB intervention and 180 receiving usual HV services and serving as our control group. We will recruit an additional 115 women as part of the current project to add to our control group. Maternal self-report surveys will be conducted at 24,30,36,42, and 48 months postpartum, with paternal/other caregiver self-report assessments conducted at 24, 36, and 48 months postpartum. A subset of 460 women (230 intervention, 230 control) will also take part in observational assessments at 24, 36, and 48 months postpartum. The aims of this study are to (1) examine whether MB improves parenting practices and young child development outcomes, (2) examine mechanisms by which MB influences parenting and young child development outcomes, and (3) examine variables that moderate the impact of MB on parenting and young child development outcomes.