Ecorazón: A Community Intervention to Reduce Stress and Enhance Resilience Among Women in Esmeraldas, Ecuador

This project develops a culturally responsive mental health intervention for childbearing women with young children in Esmeraldas, Ecuador, adapting the Mom Power model to the local context. Pilot data gathered in Esmeraldas pointed to a clear need: women shared experiences of trauma, depression and suicidality, alongside hopes and a desire for places of connection and reflection. Led by a perinatal psychiatrist at Michigan Medicine in partnership with Ecuadorian collaborators and local health clinics, the team adapts and delivers the Ecorazón intervention to reduce stress and strengthen resilience, targeting depression, trauma-related symptoms and parenting stress. The team rigorously evaluates its acceptability and feasibility, generating pilot data to position a larger, externally funded study and to expand access to maternal mental health resources in the region.