Evaluation report: An analysis of the 'Wellbeing for Mothers and Babies’ course

Maternal mental health is a vital public health concern, with postnatal depression and anxiety affecting up to 20% of women and posing risks to both mother and child. While effective treatments exist, many mothers face barriers to accessing care, including stigma, underdiagnosis, and a lack of culturally sensitive interventions. Against this backdrop, the Wellbeing for Mothers and Babies course offers a promising, community-based intervention designed to support the emotional, psychological, and relational well-being of mothers and their infants. This evaluation, led by Dr. Christopher Barnes (University of Derby), examined the impact of the five-week course on key psychological outcomes in 56 mothers. Participants completed validated measures of parental self-efficacy, well-being, happiness, depression, anxiety and stress before and after the course.

Key Findings:
• Significant improvements were observed across all measured outcomes:
o Increased parental self-efficacy, mental well-being, and happiness
o Decreased stress, anxiety, and depression

• Large effects were noted for parental self-efficacy, well-being, happiness, and stress reduction, indicating meaningful
psychological benefits throughout the period of the program.

• Parental self-efficacy emerged as a key predictor of improved outcomes, accounting for 12–16% of the variance in well-being, stress,
and happiness.

Practical Implications
• Short-term, skills-based courses, such as Wellbeing for Mothers and Babies, can provide substantial mental health benefits for new
mothers.
• Building parental self-efficacy is crucial in improving psychological outcomes and may offer a gateway to longer-term resilience and
bonding.

Recommendations
• Widen access to the course through enhanced delivery models and ongoing support beyond the initial five weeks.
• Tailor interventions to individual needs by integrating mindfulness, coping strategies, and social support mechanisms.
• Investigate additional factors influencing maternal well-being - such as cultural background, social context, and environmental
support - to further enhance program impact.

This evaluation offers robust, preliminary research-based evidence that the Wellbeing for Mothers and Babies course effectively improves maternal mental health and wellbeing. As such, it represents a scalable and compassionate approach to addressing the emotional and psychological needs of new mothers in the postnatal period.