Parent Specific Depression Education and Motivation

Effectiveness of Parent Specific Depression Education and Motivation on Intent to Seek Follow-Up Care for Potential Depression Symptoms

This project is an investigator-initiated, randomized-controlled trial of the effectiveness of written and verbal parent-specific depression education and motivational advice in increasing participants self-disclosed intention to seek follow-up care for possible depression symptoms. The control condition is written and verbal general depression education and advice. Hypothesis: the office-based experimental intervention of written and verbal parent-specific depression and emotional health education and motivational advice increases intention to seek follow-up services for emotional health or depression, when compared to written and verbal general depression education and advice.

Maternal depression is a common problem, debilitating for mothers and affecting parenting practices with negative effects on the behavior, development, and physical health of children. The value of identifying and treating maternal depression for child development and well-being is well documented. Unfortunately, there are multiple barriers to the recognition and treatment of maternal depression. This is particularly problematic in younger women, as they are less often seen for health care. The overall objective of this project is to test whether the uptake of follow-up recommendations for potential depression by mothers identified by screening in clinical settings is improved by parent-specific targetting of depression education and motivational advice.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Parent of a child between the ages of 2 days and 12 years who is a patient of the UC Davis Pediatric Clinic.
• Primary, female caregiver
• Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless or little interest or pleasure in doing things.
• Not currently receiving care from a mental health practitioner.
• Comfortable speaking English without an interpreter.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Parent of a child younger than 2 days or older than 12 years.
• Dad, Foster parent, or other short term guardian.
• Currently in treatment with a mental health practitioner.
• Limited English Proficiency