Perinatal mental health conditions affect around 1 in 4 new and expectant mothers, and issues are more prevalent in communities which experience discrimination, poverty, isolation, and trauma.
Our experience has shown that, alongside national level alliances and policies, we need local partnerships with the power to change services to ensure better support and outcomes for women and birthing people and their families.
Through this five-year project, funded by the National Lottery Community Fund, we plan to implement a model of community action, focused on Maternal Mental Health Councils, led by women with lived experience. The Councils will facilitate communities coming together to support local women, improve care and support provided, and change how the systems work, to improve the maternal mental health of marginalised women locally and, through sharing the learning, nationally.
This project builds on the successful work we have already delivered in communities, with local partners, and we plan to create a Maternal Mental Health Council in four locations within the UK. Each Council will tackle different perinatal mental health inequities, focusing on different subjects.
We are still in the early stages of this programme of work, so watch this space for further updates.
The Forum event marked the beginning of a major project funded by the National Lottery Community Fund that sees the MMHA establishing Maternal Mental Health Councils across the UK.
The National Lottery Community Fund has awarded the Maternal Mental Health Alliance (MMHA) £1.5 million for a five-year project to address long-standing inequities in perinatal mental health care across the UK.
If you have any questions, please contact Richa Mitra, National Programme Manager via richa@maternalmentalhealthalliance.org.
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