Poor minority mothers deal daily with the demands of motherhood as well as the ravages of poverty.
Research says it leads to major depression for one in four of them.
But a new study done locally shows some hope for these mothers, even those who have a personal history of abuse or violence.
Researchers at the University of Rochester's Mt. Hope Family Center tracked a 14-week intervention for overwhelmed mothers that screened for depression and offered therapy right in the women's own homes.
Pyschologist Sheree Toth, lead author of the study and executive director of the Mt. hope Family Center, said the research showed that the women receiving home based therapy saw an improvement in their depression following treatment and it continued to improve eight months later. "Many of them are in situations involving domestic violence, we gave them ways to deal with that, possibly ending those violent relationships if need be, helping them deal with other interpersonal conflicts in their life. It's very much a relationship-focused therapy."
Despite the outreach, 40 percent of mothers identified as depressed still denied all care. Toth says there is a particular stigma about mental illness in the minority community.
