Evaluating Small-Scale Community Engaged Research: The Case of the Perinatal Mental Health Initiative

• In Event: Methodological Challenges in Community-Engaged Research (Co-sponsored by the Sociology Advisory Network (SAN) and the Community on Community-Engaged Scholarship & Teaching (CEST))

Abstract

Community-engaged research can lead to empirical evidence that is more relevant, translatable, and impactful for the communities under investigation, yet the collaboration required for successful research is not without its challenges. We discuss our ongoing community-engaged research project – the Perinatal Mental Health Initiative (PMHI) – and outline the strengths and weaknesses we have encountered thus far. The goal of the PMHI is to co-design data collection, analysis, and implementation to create a robust evaluation methodology for perinatal mental health work in our community that can demonstrate the efficacy of therapist and peer-led support groups complemented with therapy in reducing severity of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMAD). Our community partner, Perinatal Resource Center (PRC), provides weekly support groups to perinatal clients while offering no-cost and low-cost PMAD specialized therapy services to low-income clients during pregnancy, and for up to 1-year postpartum. A team of research scientists and PRC staff members co-developed a three-component, mixed-methods study consisting of a brief needs assessment survey, a comprehensive evaluation survey, and qualitative interviews and focus groups. Several strategies enhanced both community engagement and study implementation, including a community-research liaison that straddled both worlds, regular team meetings, and intentional trust-building efforts. Several challenges emerged during implementation, including inconsistent attendance during early project meetings, differences in understanding the research process, and lack of PRC clients as community partners. Future iterations of this work would incorporate several modifications.

Authors

• Megan E. Bolton, Indiana University-Bloomington

• Heather M. Francis, IU Irsay Institute