Nurse-home visits reduce domestic violence and boost maternal income postpartum
The Nurse-Family Partnership program in British Columbia helped young first-time mothers by reducing exposure to intimate partner violence, increasing incomes, and lowering psychological distress. The program involved home visits by public health nurses during pregnancy and until the child's second birthday, along with existing services. By 24 months postpartum, mothers in the program reported less intimate partner violence, higher incomes, and lower psychological distress compared to those not in the program. Self-efficacy, or belief in one's ability to succeed, was higher during late pregnancy but did not show a significant difference by 24 months postpartum. The study suggests that the benefits of the program were sustained over time, but longer-term follow-up is recommended.