An analysis of group versus individual child health supervision.

This study compares the effectiveness of group health supervision (three or four families counseled simultaneously) with traditional visits in conveying knowledge of child health and development, increasing perceived maternal support, and mitigating maternal depression. Subjects were recruited from a predominantly white, middle-class, suburban/rural pediatric practice. Twenty-five families were allocated to group health supervision and 25 to individual visits. A questionnaire covering knowledge of child health and development (CHDQ), the Maternal Social Support Index (MSSI), and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD) were administered to both groups before their 2-month and after their 10-month visits. A subset of these charts was reviewed for problem visits between 2 and 6 months. As compared with families having traditional visits, families who received the group intervention did at least as well in acquiring knowledge of child care and development and, although not statistically significant, tended to recover from postpartum depression faster and deal better with minor illnesses. The investigators found group child health supervision to be a pleasant and effective method of health care delivery.