Posted By: Amy Tubb
18th July 2024
2 minute read
The Maternal Mental Health Alliance (MMHA) has announced their first-ever ambassador, Dr Krystal Wilkinson.
This appointment marks the start of an exciting new programme for the MMHA, working together with ambassadors from all walks of life to raise awareness and break the silence around mental health problems before, during and after pregnancy.
Krystal will use her skills and experience to help the MMHA explore perinatal mental health at work and drive positive change for new and expectant parents in the workplace.
With lack of awareness, stigma, fear and silence so common when it comes to these illnesses, I am incredibly proud and grateful to be associated with such amazing people and organisations fighting for change.
Dr Krystal Wilkinson, MMHA ambassador
Dr Krystal Wilkinson is an Associate Professor in Human Resource Management at the Centre for Decent Work and Productivity, Manchester Metropolitan University. Her research explores the work-life interface and women's health and wellbeing at work. Key research areas include solo-living staff, fertility issues, maternity management, mental health during and post-pregnancy, reproductive health, and the mental health of women in STEM.
Dr Wilkinson has published extensively in top academic journals and been featured in media outlets such as the BBC, the Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, and People Management magazine. She also co-edited ‘Work-Life Inclusion: Broadening perspectives across the life-course’ (2024).
Krystal is dedicated to knowledge exchange, collaborating with various stakeholders, including the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), charities, and employers, to raise awareness and develop resources. Before her PhD, she worked in HR roles across construction, retail, and hospitality industries. Dr. Wilkinson is also a Chartered Member of the CIPD.
“As a work-life interface researcher, my focus has increasingly been on ‘absent narratives’ in workplace policy and practice when it comes to employee health and wellbeing. When I experienced severe mental illness after the birth of my little boy, my positive workplace experience was a key part of my recovery, and yet I soon realised that my experience was probably quite rare. I have since been advocating for better support for others - trying to shine a light on perinatal mental health in the workplace and ensuring that organisational provisions are evidence-based.
“When I started work on an ‘agenda for research and practice’ on perinatal mental health in the workplace almost 5 years ago, I could never have imagined it would lead to such an amazing opportunity and collaboration. I couldn’t be happier or prouder to be appointed as the first Ambassador for such a wonderful and life-saving charity. I look forward to supporting the MMHA workplace agenda and their other key campaigns moving forwards in any way I can.”
“The MMHA is grateful that Dr Wilkinson will be supporting our efforts to make workplaces more psychologically safe for new and expectant parents. We’re particularly delighted to have as our first ambassador someone who can call on both professional and personal knowledge and experience, and who does so with such compassion and credibility.
“Krystal’s growing body of research and advocacy work is already helping to increase awareness and understanding of perinatal mental health needs at work and having real impact. We hope that by combining our efforts, we can ensure families get the support that is so often lacking – and encourage businesses to be much more family-inclusive.”
Krystal has previously supported the MMHA by attending a business roundtable at the House of Lords, in partnership with Policy Connect and the All-Party Parliamentary Health Group (APHG), to discuss the mental health needs of working people during the transition into parenthood, and how businesses can provide better support.
Follow Dr Krystal Wilkinson on X (Twitter) @DrKrysWilkinson and LinkedIn.
