One evaluation conducted in Queensland, Australia, reported moderate reductions in depressive symptoms for mothers in the intervention group at the six - week follow - up.89 A
subsequent follow - up, however, suggested that these benefits were not long lasting, as the depression effects had diminished by one
year.90 Similarly, Healthy Families San Diego identified reductions in depression symptoms among program mothers
during the first two
years, but these effects, too, had diminished by
year three.91 In Healthy Families New York, mothers at one site (that was supervised by a clinical psychologist) had lower rates of depression at one
year (23 percent treatment vs. 38 percent controls).92 The Infant Health and Development program also demonstrated
decreases in depressive symptoms after one
year of home visiting, as well as at the conclusion of the program at three
years.93 Among Early Head Start families, maternal depressive symptoms remained stable for the program group
during the study and immediately after it ended, but
decreased just before their children entered kindergarten.94 No program effects were found for maternal depression in the Nurse - Family Partnership, Hawaii Healthy Start, Healthy Families Alaska, or Early Start programs.