Effectiveness of family‐focused home visiting for maternal mental illness: A systematic review and meta‐analysis. Issue 6 (20th January 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Leonard, Rachel; Linden, Mark; Grant, Anne
• Is Part Of: Journal of psychiatric and mental health nursing. Volume 28:Issue 6(2021)
• Page Start: 1113
• Page End: 1127
• Publication Date: 2021-01-20
• Subjects: family‐focused practice -- home visiting -- mental illness -- meta‐analysis; Psychiatric nursing -- Periodicals; Psychiatric nurses -- Periodicals; Mental Disorders -- nursing -- Periodicals; Psychiatric Nursing -- Periodicals; 616.890231
• DOI: 10.1111/jpm.12715
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1351-0126

Abstract

Accessible summary: What is known on the subject?: Maternal mental illness reduces a mothers' ability to bond with their infant and may adversely affect other family members. Family‐focused practice is an approach which has the potential to support mothers with mental illnesses and reduce the risk of familial transmission of mental illness to children. What the paper adds to existing knowledge?: Findings suggest that current interventions are not effective in reducing depression or stress among mothers. The majority of interventions included in this review employed relatively low levels of family‐focused practice. What are the implications for practice?: While there is a growing integration of family‐focused practice into home visiting guidelines, this may be based on poor evidence. There is a need for the development of rigorously tested interventions which seek to include the whole family. Abstract: Introduction: The evidence on effectiveness of family‐focused home visiting for maternal mental illness has yet to be comprehensively synthesized. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess current home visiting treatments and interventions for mothers with mental illness and their families. Method: The primary and secondary outcomes of interest were depression and maternal stress, respectively, both were included in meta‐analyses. We identified 13 ( n = 5, 540 participants) studies which met inclusion criteria. Eight studies were included in meta‐analyses; five studies were reported narratively. Results: Findings from the meta‐analysis suggest that home visiting interventions are not effective in reducing depression (SMD −0.13, 95% CI −0.33 to 0.07, p = .21) and maternal stress (MD 0.59, 95% CI −5.19 to 6.38, p = .84). Discussion and Implications for practice: Findings suggest that current interventions are not effective in reducing depression or stress among mothers. While there is a growing integration of family‐focused practice into home visiting guidelines, this may be based on poor evidence.