Background
Postpartum depression (PPD) is a mood disorder that goes unrecognized in 50 percent of women. PPD has garnered federal, state, and local attention as a major public health problem, not only for the negative health outcomes that untreated PPD may have on mothers, infants, and families, but also for its link with health disparities. This project is designed to respond to calls for innovative, interdisciplinary, community-centered care models that may reach Milwaukee families at risk for PPD.
Objectives
- Implement a pilot research study that will assess levels of health literacy and symptoms of maternal depression and posttraumatic stress in Birth to 3 program clients.
- Implement a plan, based on the pilot research study results, to detect risk for PPD in Milwaukee and Ozaukee county mothers of children with special needs enrolled in the Birth to 3 Program.
- Develop a plan to move the work of maternal depression screening to the systems level through development of the structural components needed to support the input of depression screening information into the Early Childhood Integrated Database System (ECIDS).
- Identify and submit a grant application to secure future funding to expand the screening plan to the wider Milwaukee County Birth to 3 Program.
Population Served
Approximately 50 mothers (25 from Ozaukee County and 25 from Milwaukee County) will be screened.
Timeline
May 21, 2007 – May 25, 2009
Funding Source
- Center for Urban Population Health’s Center Scientist Development Program through the Wisconsin Partnership
Fund Key Partners
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee College of Nursing
- Jennifer Doering, Ph.D., R.N.
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee College of Health Sciences
- Kris A. Barnekow, Ph.D., Department of Occupational Therapy
- Timothy B. Patrick, Ph.D., Health Administration and Informatics
- Paula M. Rhyner, Ph.D., Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders
- Susan E. Cashin, Ph.D., Scientist
Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan, Inc. (LSS)
- Molly Schrager, M.S.W., Director of Lutheran Social Services Milwaukee and Ozaukee County Birth to 3 Program
