Effect of a lay counselor delivered integrated maternal mental health and early childhood development group-based intervention in Siaya County, Kenya: A quasi-experimental longitudinal study.

Background: Maternal mental health is linked to early childhood development; yet there is a gap in evidence-based interventions for low-resource settings. This study estimates the impact of 'Integrated Mothers and Babies Course and Early Childhood Development' (iMBC/ECD), a cognitive-behavioral, group-based intervention, on maternal depression and early childhood social-emotional development in Siaya County, Kenya.

Methods: This quasi-experimental study enrolled 417 pregnant women and mothers of children under age 2 across two sub-counties in Siaya County.