Addressing the needs of new mothers in a multi-cultural setting: an evaluation of home visiting support for new mothers – Mom to Mom (Negev)

Abstract

This study evaluated the Mom to Mom (M2M) program operating in the Negev region of Israel, an area with a high proportion of immigrants. M2M helps women cope with the first year of parenting through home visits of volunteer mothers. Specific objectives were to evaluate (1) Participants’ motivations for joining M2M; (2) Gains from participation; and (3) The effect of participation on post-partum depression (PPD). Three stages included (1) Analysis of demographics of all 440 mothers in M2M; (2) A telephone survey of 51 mothers to assess gains from participation; and (3) 137 mothers filled out the Edinburgh Post-Natal Depression Scale (EPDS) and were followed for one year. Most mothers in M2M were first time mothers, with a high rate of perinatal complications (54.4%) and positive EPDS scores (38.7%). Two major reasons for participation were being an immigrant and having low income. The greatest gains from home visits were increased self-confidence, improved parenting skills and communication with the partner. Seventy-nine percent of mothers with PPD symptoms were functioning at work and at home after a year from joining the program. Our findings suggest that M2M has the capacity to address challenges in the post-natal period among women from diverse cultures.

Keywords:

• New mothers
• home visiting program
• post-partum depression
• immigrant women
• multicultural population

Acknowledgement

The authors gratefully acknowledge the research and project support of Prof. Marsha Kaitz, Mom to Mom (Jerusalem).