A Review of Mental Health Services Offered in Home-Visiting Programs Located in Indiana and Iowa

Abstract

Home visiting programs provide support and essential resources to families with young children and expecting mothers. They improve child development, family well-being, and parenting skills. This study compares comprehensive home visiting programs in Indiana and Iowa. Additionally, it investigates available mental health services for the prevention and treatment of postpartum depression. This study utilized Internet searches and certain search engines to collect information by exploring websites, databases, and credible on-line resources. Additionally, organizations were contacted to access information that was not readily available on official websites.

Key findings revealed that Iowa has 245 home visiting programs, with 99% offering mental health services of which 5.3% involve social workers. In comparison, Indiana has 251 home visiting programs, with 98.8% providing mental health services, but none utilizing social workers.

Despite having a smaller population of 1.4 million, Iowa's home-visiting programs are more numerous than Indiana's. Additionally, Iowa has more social workers and comparable nurses, suggesting better support for postpartum depression in Iowa's model. This highlights the potential effectiveness of Iowa's approach in providing comprehensive support for postpartum depression.