By Laura Seebohm, CEO
I joined the wonderful Maternal Mental Health Alliance (MMHA) earlier this year, new to the world of perinatal mental health. I’ve been blown away by the incredible commitment and passion of the perinatal mental health sector – whether I talk to charities, experts by experience, specialist teams in Mother and Baby Units (MBUs), obstetricians on maternity wards, policymakers and politicians – people involved with perinatal mental health come with vitality, energy, and determination for our purpose. I hope that everyone realises how valuable and now refreshing this is.
With many years in the women and girls sector, this is not a totally new landscape but the biggest surprise for me, coming specifically into the maternal mental health sector, was just how huge the distance is between investment, data and attention given to maternal mental health compared to physical health for new and expectant mothers.
In recent months, various new consultations and initiatives have been announced focusing on women’s health in England, Scotland, and Wales. The recent publication of the Women’s Health Strategy for England, the Maternity Disparities Taskforce, and the appointment of Lesley Regan as Women’s Health Ambassador are important milestones in addressing the health inequalities women face. Continue reading Parity between mental and physical health is fundamental to getting it right for women, babies and families →