Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) explores relationships among a person’s thoughts, feelings and behaviors. As it related to Mothers and Babies, a CBT approach emphasizes three key components in the curriculum: focusing on the types of mental behavior one engages in (thoughts), increasing pleasant activities that one can do (by oneself, with baby or others) and focusing on the type and frequency of personal contacts. These three elements can be in the form of things one experiences in one’s mind, things one does, or experiences one shares with others.

Association for Behavioral Cognitive Therapies
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

Psychoeducation is a type of psychosocial treatment that teaches individuals about their mental health and treatments. As it relates to the Mothers and Babies curriculum, we emphasize understanding core CBT concepts (pleasant activities, thoughts, contact with others) and how these concepts relate to one’s mood.

Additional information on psychoeducation

Attachment theory emphasizes the central role that early relationships play in child development. It is based on the premise that the quality of the relationship a child forms during infancy with her/his primary caregiver, mainly the mother, has a sustained effect on the child’s unfolding personality patterns, including the early origins of psychopathology (Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters & Wall, 1978; Bowlby, 1969/80). There is empirical evidence documenting that the mother’s mental health is a predictor of the infant’s quality of attachment (Greenberg, 1999). Throughout Mothers and Babies, we highlight forms of parenting that are conducive to the development of secure attachment in the infants. We discuss the relationship between maternal depression and attachment in the three modules of the course (i.e., thoughts, activities, and people), and provide psychoeducation regarding the effects of maternal depression on their mothering, the socio-emotional health of their children and the mother-child relationship.

Multiple randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have provided evidence of the efficacy of the Mothers and Babies. These RCTs have demonstrated that when implemented in a group format and led by a trained mental health professional (e.g., clinical social workers), MB leads to fewer new cases of postpartum depression, reductions in depressive symptoms, and improved mood management. Additional studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of MB when implemented in a 1-on-1 format. These effectiveness studies have been conducted with women from different racial/ethnic groups. Along with data on mental health outcomes, we have received strong and consistent positive feedback from participants on the usefulness and user-friendliness of MB. In particular, participants consistently indicate that MB content is easy to understand, enjoyable to learn, and includes skills that can be incorporated into one’s daily life.

MB can be delivered in a group format or individually. The group version consists of six, 90 minute to two-hour sessions while the individual version consists of nine 20-25 minute sessions. Sessions can be delivered with varying frequency, but preferably every 1-2 weeks. Sessions can occur in person, over the phone or virtually, and individual sessions are brief enough to be able to incorporate within the context of other types of visits (e.g. home visits, WIC, prenatal visits, etc.)

Mothers and Babies is designed to be universal—that is, we believe that any pregnant person or new parent can benefit from the skills in the curriculum. MB has often been delivered with individuals who are exhibiting risk factors for developing perinatal depression (e.g., history of depression, mild to moderate depressive symptoms), and the intervention can also be delivered to selected individuals who meet these risk criteria. Individuals who are experiencing more significant depressive symptoms and/or are experiencing clinical depression may benefit from services and resources beyond Mothers and Babies. For these parents experiencing more significant depression, Mothers and Babies may be a stepping stone to accessing these additional services.

No, there are many programs around the United States that are using Mothers and Babies. We are always interested in expanding to other cities, counties, and states so please encourage the agencies around you to contact us.

No. Mothers and Babies can be implemented by home visiting programs using different models. Currently, we have programs using Healthy Families America, Parents as Teachers, Early Head Start, Nurse-Family Partnership, and other models all using Mothers and Babies.

Any program that works with pregnant women and new mothers might benefit from Mothers and Babies. These include, but are not limited to, home visiting programs, WIC programs, Head Start programs, pediatric primary care clinics, and prenatal care clinics.

We work closely with programs to fit their available budgets. Costs associated with training include personnel costs for time spent training, providing monthly consultation post-training, and performing implementation evaluation.

Typically 6 months of supervision is recommended, as providers implement the MB Course for the first time. This supervision can be provided by the Mothers and Babies development team, a network of Infant Mental Health Consultants, or program supervisors trained in the MB Course.

Currently, we are providing training virtually over the course of three half-days. Training is provided by the Mothers & Babies Expansion team.

Training can be provided by the Mothers and Babies Expansion team, as well as a network of Infant Mental Health Consultants. Please contact us with inquiries at mothersandbabiesnu@gmail.com

Please e-mail us at mothersandbabies@northwestern.edu

Supervision from the Mothers & Babies team tends occurs every month for the first year of implementation. As we are able, we schedule supervision during regularly scheduled staff meetings to facilitate its integration into an agency’s work flow.

We believe that supervision is necessary when a program is implementing Mothers and Babies for the first time after being trained.

Costs will vary for supervision depending on who is conducting the supervision and how many individuals/agencies require supervision. We will work closely with your program to develop a training and supervision budget that works for you.

After a program is trained on Mothers and Babies, supervision should be conducted to address any issues related to implementation. Supervision can be provided by the Mothers and Babies development team, infant mental health consultants trained on Mothers and Babies, or program supervisors trained on Mothers and Babies.

Preventing Perinatal Depression in High Risk Women: Moving the Mothers and Babies Course from Clinical Trials to Community Implementation

Randomized controlled trial of a preventive intervention for perinatal depression in high-risk Latinas

Impact of a preventive intervention for perinatal depression on mood regulation, social support, and coping

Prevention of Postpartum Depression in Low-Income Women: Development of the Mamás y Bebés/Mothers and Babies Course

Preventing perinatal depression in low-income home visiting clients: a randomized controlled trial

Six-month outcomes from a randomized controlled trial to prevent perinatal depression in low-income home visiting clients