In-home intervention for depressive symptoms with low-income mothers of infants and toddlers in the United States.

Depressive symptoms in low-income mothers negatively affect infant-toddler development. This pilot study tested a short-term, home-based depressive symptom intervention with 16 African American and White, Non-Hispanic mothers in Early Head Start (EHS) programs who were randomly assigned to intervention and usual care/waiting list conditions. Mothers met in their homes with master's-prepared psychiatric mental health nurses who worked with them to improve their management of depressive symptoms and life issues, use of social support, and parenting.

Building a research program focused on vulnerable people.

The center is playing an important role in facilitating research by providing resources and an interchange of ideas to help researchers target the methodological and conceptual issues with which they are currently faced in working with elder, young, poor, rural, and minority participants. Through activities and collaborations, the center can advance the science beyond what individual studies can provide and continue to build our knowledge of the prevention and management of chronic illness in vulnerable people. The center is ideally positioned to explore interventions that draw on nursing's historic role in the care of the chronically ill while also addressing the health needs of the most vulnerable people in the state and in the Southeast.