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Utilizing Social Media to Support Depressed Parents and Caregivers

Statement of Problem

Depression has a negative impact on the ability of caregivers (such as parents, grandparents and foster parents) to nurture and care for children. Further, caregiver depression adversely affects family relationships and can lead to a cascade of behavioral problems and mental health challenges among children. Many caregivers do not receive the mental health treatment they need, and parenting education for depressed caregivers is not widely available. Offering accessible parenting education and guidance to depressed caregivers of infants and toddlers may be an effective strategy to help these caregivers learn appropriate parenting skills and connect with the mental health treatments they need.

Previous PolicyLab research explored the feasibility and outcomes of implementing an evidence-based parenting program in primary care for caregivers with depressive symptoms who were caring for toddlers. We found that participation was a particular challenge, and we identified that we needed alternative intervention strategies to reach and retain caregivers with low incomes who had depressive symptoms but experienced barriers to participating in center-based services. 

Description

Next Steps

We will examine child development outcomes at 6 months old stemming from the social media-based parenting program. By shedding light on the influence a parent’s depression can have on their children, and reducing barriers to participating in support programs, PolicyLab hopes to build stronger and more accessible programs that address both the parent’s and the child’s health as a means to improving child outcomes. The team intends to work locally to build stronger referral services, but also hopes to influence public policy nationally about how to strengthen and finance programs to better support caregivers at increased risk for depression.

This project page was last updated in February 2023.

Suggested Citation

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, PolicyLab. Utilizing Social Media to Support Depressed Parents and Caregivers [Online]. Available at: http://www.policylab.chop.edu [Accessed: plug in date accessed here]. 

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