Study designs of evaluations included in the review
There were no explicit inclusion criteria for the study designs. The included studies comprised randomised controlled trials (RCTs), a quasi-experimental study, a survey and qualitative studies.
Specific interventions included in the review
Studies of any intervention comprising a treatment, therapy, procedure, or action implemented by a health professional were eligible for inclusion. The included studies were of home visit-based interventions (with various combinations of education and developmental support delivered by public health nurses, paraprofessional advocates and trained lay visitors) and institution-based interventions (consisting of parenting and vocational classes, drug and social rehabilitation, relaxation therapy, and educational materials). The duration and timing of the interventions varied across the studies.
Participants included in the review
Studies of families with pre-school or older children, and those viewed only as part of personal observations, were excluded from the review. The participants included in the review were substance-abusing mothers of all ages and parity. Some were studied at both prenatal and postpartum stages.
Outcomes assessed in the review
There were no explicit inclusion criteria for the outcomes. A range of outcomes was assessed in the review. These included parental indicators of stress, ongoing substance abuse, life-skills development, depression and self-esteem; and others such as child health and development, feeding status, home environment status, parent-child interaction and child abuse. A variety of measurement scales and methods (including self-report) were described in the paper.
How were decisions on the relevance of primary studies made?
The author did not state how the papers were selected for the review, or how many reviewers performed the selection.