A new intervention that indentifies potentially depressed mothers has been developed by researchers at the University of California-Davis.

The Motivating our Mothers (MOM) program encourages potentially depressed mothers to seek treatment. The initiative takes a unique approach, relying on pediatricians rather than the mother's doctor for diagnosis.

"This is one of the first studies to take on the role of the pediatrician in not only identifying depression in mothers but also helping them take the next step," Erik Fernandez y Garcia, associate professor of clinical pediatrics and lead author on the study, said in a statement. "The hope is that once we've refined the intervention and presented it to pediatricians, they will feel more comfortable about addressing depression with mothers of their patients."

To test the program, mothers were given a short survey to assess whether they needed additional care. Those who identified depression symptoms were then coached by a research assistant to seek further help.

The program had a remarkable impact. Nearly 74 percent of mothers in the intervention group sought additional help, compared to around 54 percent in the control group.

The study targeted English-speaking mothers, with children between 0 and 12 years, who were given a simple, two-question survey about the core symptoms of depression. Mothers who showed symptoms received targeted education that focused on removing the stigma associated with depression and how treatment could improve their children's health. They also received follow-up calls two days later to reinforce the message.

The researchers set a high bar for success, using an active control group that was also screened for depression and given depression education and advice. However, the control intervention lacked the targeted messaging designed to destigmatize depression and link treatment to improved child health.

The next step is to refine the program and conduct a similar study including Spanish-speaking mothers.

"If I can give pediatricians an efficient intervention to implement in their practices, we can really increase our ability to identify women with depression," Fernandez y Garcia said. "We can help them feel better and the kids will have better outcomes as well, so it has a positive effect on everybody's well being."

The findings are detailed in the journal Academic Pediatrics.