Perinatal mental health Resources

New research by the PATH partnership (see partners box), shows worrying levels of poor mental health experienced by parents during their pregnancy or in the first year after
birth and their lack of confidence to seek support. Findings included:

• New and expectant parents with perinatal mental illness (PMI) expressed feelings of low mood and depression (59%), stress (55%) and loneliness (35%)
• The most common barriers to seeking help were feeling ashamed (45%), seeming like a ‘bad parent’ (43%), pressure to be ‘perfect’ (41%) and fears of being a burden (38%).

Perinatal mental health is a critically important part of understanding the journey of life. Pregnancy and childbirth are a time of great excitement and change, which impacts both personally and professionally on the vast majority of the population. For at least 20% of pregnant women, this life event will also bring emotional disturbances and for some it will have an effect on their mental wellbeing for years after the birth. Consequently, it is vital that healthcare professionals recognise the diversity of mental illness that can impact on the childbearing population, including the need to commission effective services and be aware of how best to support women, fathers and their families during this time. This is particularly relevant for general practice nurses (GPNs) and those working in community settings, as well as nurses and midwives working with women who are pregnant, planning a pregnancy, or who have recently given birth.