Feasibility and Acceptability of an Integrated Maternal Mental Health and Parenting Intervention for Mothers of Young Children: Combining the Mothers and Babies and Chicago Parent Programs

Maternal mental health problems are prevalent, persistent, and have significant impacts on parenting self-efficacy and competence, and child well-being. This study describes the development of a group-based intervention for parents of very young children that integrates elements of the Mothers and Babies Program and the Chicago Parent Program, called Mothers and Babies – Chicago Parent (MB-CP) Program. This pilot study uses quantitative and qualitative data collected from parents to examine the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of MB-CP. Thirty-one parents (96.8% mothers, 44.8% Black, 48.3% Latino) of children in infancy through 2 years old enrolled. Of the enrolled parents, 77.4% attended one or more sessions (M = 4.9 sessions), and 54.8% attended six or more sessions of the 10-session program. Data from interviews and satisfaction surveys demonstrated strong acceptability of the program. Quantitative results demonstrated that participating in the program was associated with significant reductions in parent-reported depression symptoms. Data from interviews indicated that parents perceived improvements in their mood and increased confidence in their parenting. Findings will inform future research testing the program’s effectiveness in primary care and early childhood education settings.