Search

Copyright of Revista Ciencias de la Salud is the property of Colegio Mayor de Nuestra Senora del Rosario and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Perinatal mental health problems, experienced by 15-20% of women, are a significant public health issue associated with adverse effects among childbearing women; yet only 20-25% receive adequate treatment. There has been a recent proliferation of intensive perinatal day treatment programs in the United States. To meet this need in the greater Philadelphia area, we introduce Mother Baby Connections (MBC), an innovative interdisciplinary, attachment-focused, intensive, outpatient perinatal mental health program recently launched at Drexel University. The purpose of this paper is to (1) present an overview of MBC, its theoretical framework for services, and its evidence-based components, highlighting the unique factors that differentiate this program from traditional outpatient treatment, and (2) present clinical outcome data utilizing scores from reliable and valid scales, including enrollment to discharge outcomes from 20 months of MBC operation. In sum, outcomes for 20 predominantly minority women with complete measures showed significant improvements in maternal depression symptom severity, maternal functioning, birth trauma symptoms, perceived stress, parenting stress, and emotional regulation. Effect sizes were medium to large (i.e., 0.42-2.00). We conclude that MBC is a viable model for tailored intensive outpatient treatment to foster maternal mental health and functioning during the perinatal period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ideology and attitudes of Latino church leaders in the United States toward HIV/AIDS are explored. A qualitative approach utilized with emergent categories including: a desire within the Latino church for greater acceptance of HIV/AIDS sufferers, the supposed contaminating influence of HIV/AIDS individuals over other church members, and the feelings of helplessness many church members experience in relation to the HIV/AIDS crisis. Understanding ideological resistance that prevents engagement is here identified and a strategy of empowerment of church leaders is recommended to overcome it including: adopting a strengths-oriented service model that focuses on resources religious denominations already have, as opposed to a financially driven, medically oriented service model that highlights what churches often do not have; church leaders educating health care agencies on how to use religious beliefs to motivate church members to work on behalf of HIV/AIDS patients; the power of doctrinal ideology in affecting church and civil society's response to HIV/AIDS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]