Objective: The authors sought to determine whether a multicomponent, community-based program for preventing maternal depression also promotes engagement with mental health services for individuals with persistent symptoms. Methods: Mothers of children enrolled in Head Start were randomly assigned between February 2011 and May 2016 to Problem-Solving Education (PSE) (N=111) or usual services (N=119) and assessed every two months for 12 months. Results: Among 230 participants, 66% were Hispanic; 223 participants were included in the analysis. For all PSE participants, engagement with specialty mental health services increased from approximately 10% to 21% between two and 12 months. The PSE group was more likely than the control group to be engaged in specialty services at 12 months (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=2.36, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.07–5.20), and the rate of engagement with specialty services over time (treatment × time interaction) favored PSE (p=.016). Among PSE participants with persistent depressive symptoms over the follow-up period, engagement with specialty services increased from 12% (two months) to approximately 46% (12 months), whereas among control group participants, engagement fluctuated between 24% and 33%, without a clear trajectory pattern. At 12 months, PSE participants with persistent symptoms were more likely to engage with specialty care compared with their counterparts in the control group (AOR=6.95, CI=1.50–32.19). The treatment × time interaction was significant for the persistently symptomatic subgroup (p=.029) but not for the episodically symptomatic or the asymptomatic subgroups. Conclusions: Embedding mental health programs in Head Start is a promising strategy to engage parents with depressive symptoms in care, especially those with persistent symptoms.
Objective: Emerging evidence suggests that autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be diagnosed by age 18 months and that early intensive behavioral intervention positively affects ASD core deficits. This pilot randomized controlled trial examined the feasibility of using an adapted form of patient navigation, Family Navigation (FN), to improve timely diagnosis of ASD in low-income families from racial-ethnic minority groups. Methods: Forty children referred for an ASD diagnostic assessment were randomly allocated to receive FN or usual care. The primary outcome, time to diagnostic resolution, was assessed with survival analysis. Results: Nineteen of 20 FN children completed the diagnostic assessment, compared with 11 of 19 children receiving usual care (hazard ratio=3.21, 95% confidence interval=1.47–6.98, p<.01). In regard to engagement of participants, 17 of 20 families (85%) met with the navigator for the targeted three in-person visits (median=4, range 1–9). Conclusions: FN may be a promising intervention to address barriers that impede timely ASD diagnosis.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth of color experience high rates of mental health disorders, yet they experience challenges to accessing mental health services. Community health worker (CHW) models of care have potential to promote equitable mental health services among LGBTQ youth. Our aim was to understand how CHW models could be adapted to better support LGBTQ youth of color in accessing mental health services. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with LGBTQ youth of color (n = 16), caregivers of LGBTQ youth (n = 11), and CHWs (n = 15) in Massachusetts and California. Interviews were coded by 8 members of the research team. A Rapid Qualitative Analysis was conducted to identify themes. Caregivers, youth, and CHWs all endorsed the value of CHW models for this population. They also almost universally suggested multiple adaptations are needed for the model to be effective. Four main categories of themes emerged related to intervention adaptations: (1) Why adaptations are needed for LGBTQ youth, (2) Who should serve as CHWs providing care, (3) How CHWs should be trained, and (4) What content needs to be included in the intervention. Broadly, findings suggest the relevance of having CHW models for LGBTQ youth of color to address stigma and discrimination experienced, access to culturally and linguistically relevant services, and the need for caregiver support of LGBTQ youth. CHWs need increased training in these areas.
The internatal period, the time between births of successive children, has become a focal point for risk assessment and health promotion in women's healthcare. This period represents a time when women are at high risk for a depressive disorder. The pediatric venue offers a unique opportunity for the identification and management of depression in the internatal period, as mothers who do not attend their own medical appointments are likely to accompany their child to pediatric visits. This paper discusses the role pediatric providers can undertake to improve women's health in the internatal period through the detection and management of maternal depression at well-child visits. Successful models of the management of depression in other primary care settings are explored for their potential for implementation in the pediatric venue. A specific model developed and implemented as part of a 3-year project is presented to highlight the feasibility of an evidenced-based approach to the management of maternal depression in the pediatric setting. We present evidence demonstrating that pediatric providers can successfully identify postpartum women with depression, monitor symptoms and treatment adherence, and communicate results to a woman's healthcare provider. Yet more investigation is needed to create preventive interventions for maternal depression that integrate evidenced-based practice standards for the treatment of depression in primary care venues into pediatric settings. Future programs and policies targeting maternal depression in the pediatric environment should address patient mental health literacy and stigma, the training and education of pediatric providers, and issues of privacy and reimbursement.
Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMAD), a leading cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality, affect approximately one in seven births in the US. To understand whether extending pregnancy-related Medicaid eligibility from sixty days to twelve months may increase the use of mental health care among low-income postpartum people, we measured the effect of retaining Medicaid as a low-income adult on mental health treatment in the postpartum year, using a "fuzzy" regression discontinuity design and linked all-payer claims data, birth records, and income data from Colorado from the period 2014–19. Relative to enrolling in commercial insurance, retaining postpartum Medicaid enrollment was associated with a 20.5-percentage-point increase in any use of prescription medication or outpatient mental health treatment, a 16.0-percentage-point increase in any use of prescription medication only, and a 7.3-percentage-point increase in any use of outpatient mental health treatment only. Retaining postpartum Medicaid enrollment was also associated with $40.84 lower out-of-pocket spending per outpatient mental health care visit and $3.24 lower spending per prescription medication for anxiety or depression compared with switching to commercial insurance. Findings suggest that extending postpartum Medicaid eligibility may be associated with higher levels of PMAD treatment among the low-income postpartum population.
Adapting evidence-based interventions to be more accessible and culturally sensitive to the needs of diverse populations is a potential strategy to address disparities in mental health care. We adapted an evidence-based depression-treatment strategy, Problem-Solving Treatment, to prevent depression among low-income mothers with vulnerable children. Intervention adaptations spanned 3 domains: (1) the intervention's new prevention focus, (2) conducting a parent-focused intervention in venues oriented to children; and (3) cultural competency. The feasibility of adaptations was assessed through 2 pilot-randomized trials (n = 93), which demonstrated high participant adherence, satisfaction, and retention, demonstrating the feasibility of our adaptations.
