Effects of a Prenatal Depression Preventive Intervention on Parenting and Young Children’s Self-Regulation and Functioning (EPIC) Study

EPIC was a 5-year R01 research study funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). Conducted from 2019 to 2024, the study enrolled 960 participants and examined the long-term outcomes of the Mothers and Babies group intervention on parenting and early child development. Building on previous work that demonstrated Mothers and Babies’ effects in improving maternal mental health outcomes, this project investigated the intervention’s longer-term impact on parenting and child self-regulation from 30 to 54 months of age. The project aimed to: 1) test MB’s impact on parenting and child self-regulation up to 54 months of age, with the expectation of increased responsive parenting and enhanced self-regulation in children, 2) examine maternal mechanisms influenced by Mothers and Babies that affect parenting and child self-regulation, focusing on increased awareness of thoughts and feelings and improved mood regulation, and 3) investigate how fathers’ mental health, involvement in parenting, and relationships with mothers moderated MB’s effects on parenting and child self-regulation. The study also assessed if maternal minority race/ethnicity, lower socioeconomic status, and adolescent motherhood moderated Mothers and Babies’ preventive effects. This project holds significant potential benefits to society, as preventive interventions delivered prenatally can influence the long-term trajectories of parenting practices and child development, which, in turn, can chart a course for future child health and well-being.

Principal and Co-Investigators

Darius Tandon, PhD, Lauren S. Wakschlag, PhD, Amelie Petitclerc, PhD, Jody D. Ciolino, PhD, Craig F. Garfield, MD

Contact Information

For more information or questions about our study, please feel free to reach out to our Director of Research Operations: Alicia Diebold, MSW 

Publications

• Diebold, A., Johnson, J. K., Brennan, M., Ciolino, J. D., Petitclerc, A., Wakschlag, L. S., Garfield, C. F., Yeh, C., Lovejoy, A., Zakieh, D., & Tandon, S. D. (2021). Testing the effects of a prenatal depression preventive intervention on parenting and young children’s self-regulation and functioning (EPIC): protocol for a longitudinal observational study. BMC public health, 21(1), 1368. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-11385-5