Community Action Agency of St. Louis County

Rural Americans experience higher rates of perinatal depression (PND) compared to non-rural Americans yet have decreased access to treatment. To address treatment access disparities, we must build capacity for care within non-mental health settings and leverage technology. This study uses a phenomenological approach, exploring treatment experiences of rural perinatal people with PND who participated in a technology-assisted cognitive behavioral-based treatment program. Participants who completed at least one program session were invited to participate in a qualitative interview about their experience. Four core themes emerged: (1) educational value, (2) factors impacting program engagement, (3) accessibility, and (4) suggested improvements. The program offers a treatment option for rural perinatal people and presents a model for increasing access to care in rural areas.

Racially minoritized groups are more likely to experience COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and have lower vaccination rates. As part of a multi-phase community-engaged project, we developed a train-the-trainer program in response to a needs assessment. “Community vaccine ambassadors” were trained to address COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. We evaluated the program’s feasibility, acceptability, and impact on participant confidence for COVID-19 vaccination conversations. Of the 33 ambassadors trained, 78.8% completed the initial evaluation; nearly all reported gaining knowledge (96.8%) and reported a high confidence with discussing COVID-19 vaccines (93.5%). At two-week follow-up, all respondents reported having a COVID-19 vaccination conversation with someone in their social network, reaching an estimated 134 people. A program that trains community vaccine ambassadors to deliver accurate information about COVID-19 vaccines may be an effective strategy for addressing vaccine hesitancy in racially minoritized communities.