M-O-M-S on the Bayou: Implementation of an Intervention for Mental Health in Pregnancy
Who can join
Ages 18 and older · Women · Healthy volunteers welcome
Full eligibility criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Pregnant * Below 20 weeks' gestation * Enrolled in prenatal care Exclusion Criteria: * Not pregnant * Under age 18 * Does not speak English or Spanish * Does not plan to carry to term * Does not plan to remain in the study area through pregnancy * Fetal defects likely to lead to death or extensive hospitalization postpartum
About the study
Disasters have negative effects in the short term (physical trauma, adverse environmental exposures, and unstable housing) and the long term (relocation, changes in family functioning, and negative economic effects), which interact with social determinants to worsen health among the most vulnerable women, infants, and communities. Trauma and severe stress are directly linked to pregnancy complications, and raise blood pressure during pregnancy, alter stress hormones, and increase vulnerability to infection, all of which predispose to reduced fetal growth and preterm birth. Disasters also worsen mental health, and depression during pregnancy and postpartum, for instance, is associated with worse physical health during pregnancy, maternal impairment, poorer quality parenting, negative child behavior, and poorer infant cognitive development.The goal of this intervention is to improve mental health in pregnant women living in a disaster-affected region.
The main questions this intervention aims to answer are:
* Assess the implementation outcomes (acceptability, adaptation, adoption, feasibility, fidelity, and sustainability) of a pilot intervention in a disaster recovery environment. * Assess the effectiveness of the M-O-M-S pilot intervention in a disaster recovery environment.
The study will recruit pregnant women in areas that have experienced a natural disaster. Women will be recruited in early pregnancy and attend a series of classes on the cognitive and relationship changes of pregnancy and motherhood, and mental preparation for labor, led by a "mentor," a mother who has experienced pregnancy, labor, and motherhood.
What is being tested
- M-O-M-S on the Bayou (behavioral)
Sponsor: Tulane University · Participants: 240 · Started: Nov 1, 2023
Contact the study team
- Emily Harville, PhD · Phone: 504-988-7327
Official record on ClinicalTrials.gov — NCT05838404
Locations in the U.S.
| Louisiana | Tulane University, New Orleans |
Conditions
From ClinicalTrials.gov, data retrieved Oct 2, 2026. Each study sets its own eligibility; the study team decides who can join.