Only four in 10 people are aware that birth can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder, survey finds

A survey¹ by Maternal Mental Health Alliance member, the Birth Trauma Association, has found that the majority of people aren’t aware that birth can cause post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The survey, carried out to mark Birth Trauma Awareness Week, found that, while 78% of people were aware that war could cause PTSD, only 40% knew that it was possible to experience PTSD as a result of giving birth.  Continue reading Only four in 10 people are aware that birth can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder, survey finds →

16,000 women were unable to access essential perinatal mental health care due to the pandemic, according to research

 

  • Postcode lottery in England puts the mental health of expectant and new mums at risk.
  • Maternal Mental Health Alliance member, the Royal College of Psychiatrists is calling for funding for perinatal mental health facilities in the next spending review and for local health bodies to invest in services in their areas.

Thousands of women could not get vital help with their mental health during pregnancy or right after giving birth because of the covid pandemic, according to new analysis using the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ Mental Health Watch.

Continue reading 16,000 women were unable to access essential perinatal mental health care due to the pandemic, according to research →

Make all care count: new phase of the Everyone’s Business campaign calls for essential perinatal mental health care for all women and families in the UK

 

    • More than 1 in 10 women will experience a mental health problem during pregnancy or the first years after birth (known as ‘the perinatal period’).
    • The COVID-19 pandemic is creating additional challenges and further increasing mental health risks for new and expectant mums.
    • Now more than ever, the services supporting women and families with their perinatal mental health need to be protected and enhanced.

For almost 10 years, the Maternal Mental Health Alliance’s (MMHA) Everyone’s Business campaign has focussed primarily on securing specialist perinatal mental health (PMH) services[i] across the UK. Now, thanks to funding from the National Lottery, the MMHA is expanding this focus and launching a new campaign phase today: ‘Make all care count’. Continue reading Make all care count: new phase of the Everyone’s Business campaign calls for essential perinatal mental health care for all women and families in the UK →

Infant Mental Health Awareness Week 2021

When is Infant Mental Health Awareness Week?

This year, Infant Mental Health Awareness Week will run between 7-12th June.

What is it?

Infant Mental Health Awareness Week takes place every year in June to highlight the importance of babies’ emotional wellbeing and development.

What’s happening and how to get involved

The theme for this year’s Infant Mental Health Awareness Week is ‘including infants in children and young people’s mental health’.

Join in the discussion on Twitter using #IMHAW21 and #IncludingInfants.

A member of the 1001 Days Movement

The First 1001 Days Movement

The Maternal Mental Health Alliance is a proud member of the First 1001 Days Movement.

Find out more about Infant Mental Health Awareness Week on their website.

 

Spring 2021 Everyone’s Business eBulletin out now!

Download now

The spring 2021 eBulletin is out now with all the latest from the MMHA’s Everyone’s Business campaign and perinatal mental health (PMH) community, including:

    1. Celebrating the rollout of Maternal Mental Health Hubs in England
    2. Reflections on the Government’s ‘Vision for the 1,001 Critical Days’
    3. New interim Mother and Baby unit in Wales
    4. Northern Ireland’s progress with PMH service development
    5. Next steps for the MMHA Everyone’s Business campaign

And much more…

Please share widely among your networks! On Twitter and Instagram, please tag @MMHAlliance and #EveryonesBusiness.

 

Making remote services work: what NSPCC learnt from providing support to expectant parents during the pandemic

Guest blog by Louse Harrington, Development and Impact Manager at the NSPCC

 

Up to one in five mums and one in 10 dads experience perinatal mental health problems (Bauer, 2016 and NHS England, 2018). However, access to the right support at the right time isn’t guaranteed and the pandemic has exacerbated things. During the last year, for many expectant parents, government restrictions have meant being away from supportive family and friends, dealing with new pressures, and uncertainty around birth arrangements. For some, this combination of challenges has intensified feelings of stress, anxiety and apprehension.

Through NSPCC’s Fight for a Fair Start campaign we’ve been calling on governments across the UK to ensure training and resources to spot perinatal mental health problems are available so parents can receive the support they need, at the earliest opportunity, for themselves and their babies. And where parents need specialist care and support, the NSPCC want governments to ensure it’s available to them, wherever they live.

To support improvements to early help on offer to parents, we’re sharing what we’ve learnt from adapting our preventative mental health service, Pregnancy in Mind, to virtual delivery, enabling us to still be here for families when they need us most. Continue reading Making remote services work: what NSPCC learnt from providing support to expectant parents during the pandemic →

The latest from the Everyone’s Business campaign in Scotland

Guest blog by Everyone’s Business Scotland coordinator, Laura Bennison

A record-breaking election

The Scottish parliamentary elections on 6 May saw the highest turnout in its history, with 66% of the population casting their vote. The Scottish National Party has been handed a fresh five-year term in government at Holyrood, their fourth in a row.

We hope to continue our work with Clare Haughey MSP, pending Cabinet decisions. Continue reading The latest from the Everyone’s Business campaign in Scotland →