A University of Kentucky study finds that low-income women can be treated effectively for depression with a short course of cognitive therapy.
In the study, a group of single mothers was led through a six-week group intervention that trained them in changing their thinking style. The working included thought-stopping techniques and the use of affirmations.
Women who went through the cognitive-behavioral intervention reported having fewer symptoms of depression and chronic stress and less negative thinking.
“This study illustrates that cost-effective and easy to deliver nursing interventions can improve the mental health of low-income single mothers,” said Ann Peden, a nursing professor and the lead researcher in the study.
Depression is diagnosed twice as often in women as in men with estimates that 35 to 66 percent of mothers of young children estimated to be depressed.
The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute of Nursing Research.