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Canadian Journal of Public Health = Revue Canadienne de Santé Publique logoLink to Canadian Journal of Public Health = Revue Canadienne de Santé Publique
. 2015 Nov 1;106(Suppl 7):eS38–eS44. doi: 10.17269/CJPH.106.4831

Outcomes of the Main dans la main initiative on substance-abusing expectant and new mothers in the perinatal period

Retombées de l’initiative Main dans la main auprès des futures et nouvelles mères consommatrices de substances psychoactives en période périnatale

Chantal Lavergne 12,, Geneviève Turcotte 12, Pauline Morissette 22
PMCID: PMC6972287  PMID: 26978695

Abstract

Objectives

The Main dans la main initiative relies on collaboration between child protection and hospital-based social workers to help substance-abusing expectant mothers maximize their chances of caring for their newborn. The article describes the positive outcomes of this initiative for the women, based on the experiences and perception of the participants and social workers involved.

Method

A case study was conducted with twenty-one participants using three data sources: 1) a semi-structured interview with the mothers at two points in time; 2) a semi-structured interview with social workers; and 3) the tools of the initiative. The data were analyzed based on content condensation and data presentation.

Results

A majority of participants experienced changes in their various spheres of life: personal (positive changes in substance-abuse habits), parental (improved self-confidence as a parent, reduced stress due to the fear of losing custody of their newborn), and social/relational (improved relationships with social support network and support services).

Conclusion

The results confirm the relevance and potential for change of a short intervention model during the perinatal period based on inter-professional collaboration with substance-abusing expectant mothers. Further research is needed to validate the hypothesis on the effectiveness of this initiative.

Electronic Supplementary Material

Supplementary material is available for this article at 10.17269/CJPH.106.4831 and is accessible for authorized users.

Key Words: substance-abuse during pregnancy, inter-professional collaboration, outcomes

Electronic supplementary material

41997_2015_10607038_MOESM1_ESM.pdf (136.4KB, pdf)

Supplementary material, approximately 140 KB.

Footnotes

Conflict of Interests

None to declare.

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Supplementary Materials

41997_2015_10607038_MOESM1_ESM.pdf (136.4KB, pdf)

Supplementary material, approximately 140 KB.


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