Associate Professor of Child Development Dr. Pamela Norcross and Associate Professor of Psychology Dr. Betty-Shannon Prevatt have received a nearly $500,000 grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). The three-year grant will continue to fund their project, Advancing Insight into Maternal Social Support (AIMSS), which examines how social support interventions during pregnancy affect the incidence of postpartum mood disorders.
In 2021, Norcross and Prevatt received a grant to initiate the project, making them the first-ever Meredith research team to receive a grant from the NIMH.
“We are very excited and relieved to have received almost half a million dollars with this renewal grant from the NIMH, a nice increase from our prior grant,” said Norcross. “We hope to further our research on examining the effects of early social support during pregnancy.”
About AIMSS
Through AIMSS, Norcross and Prevatt aim to expand the understanding of maternal mental health and well-being. Current research on postpartum mood disorders focusing on the effects of social support interventions is limited to the postpartum period. Little is known about the benefits of implementing these interventions during pregnancy.
In the initial study, Meredith researchers, which included undergraduate research assistants (URAs), partnered with two obstetrics and gynecology practices that implement the CenteringPregnancy model, a group-based prenatal care model with demonstrated positive maternal and infant physical health outcomes compared to standard prenatal care. Through this partnership, the project examined the model’s mental health benefits. Data was collected during pregnancy and then at two follow-ups after delivery.
Findings revealed that CenteringPregnancy participants with greater socioeconomic vulnerability reported significantly lower depression, anxiety, and stress at six months postpartum compared to patients who received traditional prenatal care.
With the renewed grant, focus groups will be implemented to collect more qualitative data on participants. AIMSS is currently recruiting mothers for the second phase of its study. Participants must be six months postpartum in the spring of 2026, have participated in a certified CenteringPregnancy group-based prenatal care program, and be older than 18 years of age.
Expanding Research at Meredith
Collaborating with university research experts and Meredith faculty and staff, Norcross and Prevatt will also use the grant to strengthen the College’s research environment. URAs have been major contributors to AIMSS, supporting each part of the research process. The experience prepares students to pursue graduate school and careers in research. For example, URA Claire Jacoby, ’24, was recently selected for a Fulbright program to complete a research project studying the transition to motherhood.
AIMSS can serve as a model for expanding Meredith’s Undergraduate Research Program and providing opportunities that support faculty research interests.
“Research is teaching, and we believe that it will benefit students, faculty, staff, and the College as a whole to have a strong research presence,” said Norcross. “It will help keep Meredith moving forward.”
About the NIMH Grant
The project at Meredith College was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, one of the National Institutes of Health, through an Academic Research Enhancement Award for Undergraduate Focused Institutions under Award Number 2R15MH126403-02.
The purpose of AREA funding is to support small-scale research grants at institutions that do not receive substantial funding from the National Institutes of Health, with an emphasis on providing biomedical research experiences primarily for undergraduate students, and enhancing the research environment at these applicant institutions.