Authors
Jennifer Langhinrichsen-Rohling, Sharon Watson, Mia Ersoff, Jayla Worsley, Brice Kroll, Jenna Hollenhead
Published in
American journal of community psychology. Jun 29, 2026. Epub Jun 29, 2026.
Abstract
Longer-duration, holistic, cohort-based, coach-led interventions may be particularly effective in promoting both economic health and emotional well-being among unmarried mothers living in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods. Aligning with the 1999 Centers for Disease Control (CDC) framework for program evaluation, this study presents a non-random pragmatic feasibility trial of Moms Moving Forward (MMF), a 12-month, community-centered, place-based initiative. MMF aims to improve financial stability and maternal mental health by building life skills and strengthening participants' sense of community and spirituality through personalized coaching, targeted workshops with local partners, and sisterhood-building activities. One hundred mothers across six cohorts enrolled in MMF over 3 years, of whom 72 completed the program. Participants provided pre- and post-self-report measures of demographics, financial health (credit scores, wages), mental health (anxiety, depression, stress, self-esteem), and desired and obtained life skills. A holistic indicator of progress was captured using the 2016 EMPath Bridge to Self-Sufficiency®, with scores self-determined alongside life coaches. Results indicated improvements in credit scores, wages, and advancement across all Bridge domains, alongside reductions in depression, anxiety, and stress. Participants reported increased life skills and high program acceptability. Continued evaluation using rigorous designs will be critical to assess efficacy and support future scaling.
PMID:
42371683
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 29 Jun 2026.
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