The Exhale Study: Treating Maternal Depression in an Urban Pediatric Asthma Clinic

The purpose of the study is to determine the effectiveness and implementation of Brief Enhanced Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT-B), an evidence-based treatment for maternal depression, delivered in an urban pediatric asthma clinic. This study is a pilot Hybrid Type 1 Effectiveness-Implementation, single-blinded, prospective randomized controlled trial. A parallel two-group design will be used to evaluate the impact of the intervention (Enhanced IPT-B) among a sample of 48 Black mothers of children under the age of 18 with asthma. Mothers with PHQ-9 ≥ 8 will be identified in the asthma clinic through routine depression screening during the child's visit and recruited to participate in the study if they meet eligibility criteria. Following the informed consent process, mothers randomized to the intervention group will receive Enhanced IPT-B. Enhanced IPT-B consists of a single, 45-60-minute pre-treatment engagement session followed by eight weekly, 45-minute individual psychotherapy sessions carried out by a licensed mental health clinician within an 8-12-week timeframe. Mothers randomized to the comparison group will receive Supplemented Usual Care which involves short-term care coordination to access community mental health resources. Data on maternal mental health, child asthma management and outcomes, and child mental health will be collected from mothers and children at baseline, 3 months post-baseline, and 6 months post-baseline. Data on implementation outcomes will be collected from mothers and asthma clinic leadership and staff. Quantitative and qualitative data analysis strategies will be utilized to answer the research questions.

Inclusion criteria

Maternal:

• Primary caregiver of the child with asthma seen at the community-based asthma clinic
• Female (self-identified)
• Black (self-identified)
• ≥ 18 years of age
• English-speaking
• PHQ-9 ≥ 8 during standardized screening at the child with asthma's clinic visit

Child:

• <18 years old for the duration of the 6-month study period
• Publicly insured
• Physician-diagnosed persistent asthma

Exclusion criteria

Maternal:

• Acutely suicidal (high risk on the C-SSRS at child's asthma clinic visit)
• Bipolar disorder or mania
• Schizophrenia
• Current substance abuse/dependence
• Current serious physical intimate partner violence (IPV)
• Lack of capacity to meaningfully participate in study procedures, as assessed by study staff during screening

Child:

• Significant medical co-morbidity (e.g., disorders of the cardiorespiratory system, significant developmental delay, diabetes, seizure disorder, and sickle cell disease)
• Enrolled in another intervention with a behavioral component and/or novel asthma therapeutics