Violence against women is a global human rights concern and a significant public health challenge; 1 in 3 three women experience lifetime physical and/or sexual violence. As many as 5.3 million U.S. women report experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV; referring to sexual or physical violence by current or former partners) annually. Depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are the two most common mental health consequences of IPV. In turn, developing depressive and PTSD symptoms after experiencing IPV increases future risk of IPV3. IPV is also associated with chronic physical health problems and self-harm .

Motherhood and pregnancy increase the risk for prolonged exposure to physical, psychological and sexual IPV. With as many as 4% to 8% of pregnant women reporting IPV during pregnancy, IPV can start or worsen during the perinatal period. Previous and current experience of IPV is strongly associated with poor physical health, mental health and obstetric outcomes; leading to increased utilization of health services11 even after the IPV ends12. There are very few interventions that effectively reduce IPV among pregnant women and mothers with children under 5 who report IPV. One of them, Mother AdvocateS In the Community (MOSAIC) forms the basis of this proposal16. No existing intervention addresses the depressive and PTSD symptoms that often follow IPV, are associated with suffering and morbidity, and potentiate future IPV risk for pregnant women and mothers with children under 5 who report IPV. In fact, there are not any interventions for any group of women that effectively reduce both future IPV risk and common related mental health symptoms such as depression and PTSD. An integrated intervention that addresses elevated symptoms of maternal depression and PTSD while reducing subsequent IPV is needed.

MOSAIC is a non-professional intervention delivered by mentor mothers from the community to reduce IPV in pregnant women and mothers with children under 5. The intervention combines elements of mentoring and IPV-specific support provided by mentor mothers. MOSAIC was also tested in a fully-powered RCT for pregnant women and mothers with children under 5 in Australia and found to reduce subsequent IPV. However, it did not significantly improve depression, and PTSD symptoms were not evaluated. Given the suffering, morbidity, and additional risk of IPV conferred by depressive and PTSD symptoms, the proposed study will augment MOSAIC with principles of an evidence-based intervention to improve maternal mental health. Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) is the front-line treatment for maternal depression18 and has been found to reduce PTSD symptoms in the perinatal period19. IPT addresses maternal mental health by helping women increase their general social support systems and build communication skills and confidence to access needed resources and help. IPT can be effectively delivered by lay providers. This proposal will integrate IPT principles into MOSAIC to address both IPV and its mental health sequelae.

The purpose of this R34 exploratory research proposal is to conduct formative work for a larger randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluating the effectiveness of the "Mother AdvocateS In the Community (MOSAIC) Plus" intervention to reduce depressive and PTSD symptoms and prevent additional IPV among pregnant women and mothers with children under 5 experiencing IPV. The MOSAIC Plus intervention will integrate IPT principles and skills into the MOSAIC intervention in order to expand it to address consequences of IPV, including depression and PTSD symptoms. The proposed study will enroll pregnant women who report experience of IPV in the past 6 months, and who screen positive for elevated depressive and/or PTSD symptoms. The intervention lasts 9 months after enrollment. Women will be recruited from Obstetrics and Gynecological unit of the Hurley Medical Center and YWCA, Flint. The control condition will be the original MOSAIC intervention. Study assessments will take place at baseline, 3, 6 and 9 months.