Evaluation of a Pilot Group Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Intervention for Infant Mothers Under 6-months Enrolled on the MAMI Care Pathway in Somaliland

Despite the substantial number of malnourished infants worldwide, infant growth failure has been largely overlooked as an area for action. In response, the Management of small and nutritionally At-risk Infants less than 6-months and their Mothers (MAMI) Global Network developed the MAMI Care Pathway Package to guide program implementation in this area of innovation. Supporting maternal mental health is a key component of the MAMI Care Pathway. However, health workers have reported challenges with supporting maternal mental health difficulties as part of the package of care. As such, Save the Children designed for piloting a supportive group Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) intervention for mothers enrolled in the MAMI Care pathway who have mild/moderate psychological distress. A key design concept was that the intervention could be delivered by non-specialist health workers in primary health care settings to maximize feasibility and sustainability.

The intervention was piloted by Save the Children at four primary health care facilities in Somaliland over 8 weeks between March and May 2025. The pilot was evaluated, with the objective of assessing the effectiveness, acceptability, and feasibility of the group-based intervention in primary health care settings. This report presents the methods, findings and conclusions of that evaluation.