An online program developed by researchers at Georgia State University and the Oregon Research Institute that has been shown to decrease symptoms of depression among mothers of young children and increase the use of positive parenting practices is being disseminated in Early Head Start programs throughout the country.

The coach-supported online program and mobile app, known as Mom-Net, was designed with input from Head Start mothers and staff. It incorporates self-paced video-based sessions and online support calls with Head Start staff.

In randomized controlled trials, mothers who participated in Mom-Net showed a six-fold decrease in depressive symptoms compared to mothers receiving services as usual. Mom-Net also has been shown to increase engagement in enjoyable parent-child activities and to decrease child maltreatment risks. With funding from a five-year, $3.1 million grant from the National Institute of Mental Health, the researchers are partnering with Head Start programs across the country to ensure that mothers with depression receive the support they need to improve their mood.

“We know that many new moms with symptoms of depression can’t access the help they need because of barriers like cost, transportation and inflexible work schedules,” said co-principal investigator Kathleen Baggett, associate professor in the GSU School of Public Health and Director of the university’s Mark Chaffin Center for Healthy Development. “Mom-Net was designed to overcome these barriers, and we’re excited to learn about the ways in which Head Start programs can implement Mom-Net feasibly and sustainably.”

Edward Feil, principal investigator and senior scientist at the Oregon Research Institute, noted that the national rollout of Mom-Net follows a successful implementation in the Pacific Northwest, where it was used by more than 300 mothers over 15 years of research and development.

“The impetus for Mom-Net came from Head Start parents at a local center looking for services to address their depression,” Feil said. “We listened to low-income parents struggling with depression to incorporate their experiences into a program with a research-based foundation from cognitive behavioral therapy.”

He added that the results of two randomized controlled trial research studies funded by the National Institute of Mental Health show that parents receiving the Mom-Net program have a significantly greater reduction in depression symptoms as compared to parents not receiving this intervention. In addition, the studies found improvements in parenting efficacy for Mom-Net participants that are associated with improved child developmental outcomes as well as parental mental health outcomes.

The researchers noted that most mothers lack access to needed mental health support and that very young children are particularly vulnerable to the negative effects of poverty and parental depression on brain development.

Mom-Net is designed specifically for mothers with children under the age of 5. It includes eight self-paced modules of 15 to 20 minutes and up to eight online sessions with virtual coaching.

Nearly two decades ago, Baggett and Feil began developing and have since been refining interventions such as Mom and Baby Net with advances in technology and research-based evidence on how to best apply cognitive behavioral interventions at scale in non-clinical community settings. Research associated with the expansion of Mom-Net will assess the role coach supported video calls play in increasing engagement among mothers.

“There are a lot of web-based approaches to improving mental health, but what the data show is that the percentage of people who actually use them is extraordinarily low,” Baggett said. “This study puts us at the forefront of understanding how to best support and sustain engagement for the sake of mothers and their children.”

Co-investigators on the project at the Oregon Research Institute are Associate Research Scientist Betsy Davis; Senior Scientist John Seeley, who is also a professor at the University of Oregon; Associate Scientist Margot Bastin; and Associate Scientist Kendra Guinness

At Georgia State University, Second Century Initiative Doctoral Student Fellows Ava Shivar and Laura Saddi; and MPH alumna Destiny Stokes are engaged in the project.