On Monday 20th October 2014, The Times published a letter signed by 70 leading academics highlighting concerns about gaps in services for women with mental health problems during the perinatal period – please see below:
Dear Sir,
We are writing to warn of the dangers of current gaps in services for women with mental health problems during pregnancy or postnatal period. Research released earlier this year shows that there are no specialist NHS perinatal mental health services in nearly half of areas in the UK and many regions have no specialist inpatient Mother and Baby Units. These gaps have important implications for the wellbeing of women and their families.
Maternal mental illness is common, affecting more than 10 percent of new mothers. It can also be severe, with suicide a leading cause of maternal death. In addition to the devastating consequences to the woman, untreated illness can have adverse effects on child development and long-term outcomes. Many of these problems can be avoided if maternal mental health problems are identified early and treated effectively but sadly too many women still do not receive the care they need.
Today, a new report reveals the heavy economic cost of perinatal mental illness to our society and public services. It shows that the long-term costs to society of perinatal mental illness are more than £8bn for each annual cohort of births in the UK. Nearly three quarters of this cost results from the adverse impacts of perinatal mental illness on the child.
We urge UK governments to do more to tackle the harm caused by maternal mental illnesses. They must hold national and local commissioners to account for the current lack of provision. The costs of perinatal mental illness – both human and economic – are too high to ignore this important issue.
Professor Debra Bick
Professor of Evidence Based Midwifery
King’s College, London
Professor Leon Feinstein
Visiting Professor at the Centre for the Analysis of Social Exclusion
London School of Economics
Professor Peter Fonagy
Chief Executive, The Anna Freud Centre
Head of the Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology
University College London
Professor Vivette Glover
Professor of Perinatal Psychobiology
Imperial College London
Professor Ian Jones
Director, National Centre for Mental Health
Cardiff University
Professor Alan Stein
Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
University of Oxford
Professor Terence Stephenson
Chair, UK Academy of Medical Royal Colleges
Professor Kathryn M. Abel
Professor of Psychological Medicine
The University of Manchester
Dr Cheryll Adams,
Director
Institute of Health Visiting
Dr Catherine Angell
Senior Academic for Midwifery
Bournemouth University
Dr Cathy Ashwin
Honorary Asst. Professor
University of Nottingham
Professor Jane Barlow
Professor of Public Health in the Early Years
Warwick University
Dr Sue Barker
Lecturer in Mental Health nursing
Cardiff University
Dr Giles Berrisford
Chair Action on Postpartum Psychosis and Honorary Senior Lecturer
University of Birmingham
Dr Roch Cantwell
Consultant Perinatal Psychiatrist
University of Glasgow
Elaine Clark
Chair of Scottish Perinatal Mental Health Forum
Dr FlorianaCoccia
Honorary Senior Lecturer and Senior Academy Tutor
University of Birmingham
Professor John Cox
Professor Emeritus
Keele University
Professor Nick Craddock
Professor of Psychiatry
Cardiff University
Dr Michael C. Craig
Senior Lecturer & Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist
Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Kings College London
Emeritus Professor Dame Sarah Cowley,
Academic Health Visitor
King’s College London
Dr Paola Dazzan
Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN)
King’s College London
Dr Arianna Di Florio
Research Fellow in Perinatal Mental Health
Cardiff University
Dr Jonathan Evans
Senior Lecturer
University of Bristol
Professor Charles Fernyhough
Department of Psychology
Durham University
Professor David Foreman
Visiting Professor
Royal Holloway, University of London
Dr Alain Gregoire
Chair, Maternal Mental Health Alliance
Southampton University
Dr Ben Hannigan
Reader in Mental Health Nursing
Cardiff University
Dr Jessica Heron
Senior Research Fellow in Perinatal Psychiatry
University of Birmingham
Professor Pat Hoddinott
Chair in Primary Care
Stirling University
Professor Kerry Hood
Director South East Wales Trials Unit
Cardiff University
Professor Louise Howard
NIHR Research Professor; Professor in Women’s Mental Health & Consultant Perinatal Psychiatrist
Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King’s College London
Professor Vanora Hundley
Professor of Midwifery, Centre for Midwifery, Maternal & Perinatal Health
Bournemouth University
Professor Billie Hunter
RCM Professor of Midwifery
Cardiff University
John Hyde
Associate Lecturer Mental Health
Cardiff University
Dr Lisa Jones
Senior Lecturer in Psychiatry
University of Birmingham
Dr Ann John
Associate Professor
Swansea University
Professor Sally Kendall
Director, Centre for Research in Primary and Community Care
School of Health and Social Work, University of Hertfordshire
Professor Nancy Loucks
Centre for Law, Crime & Justice
University of Strathclyde.
Professor Christine MacArthur
Professor of Maternal and Child Epidemiology
University of Birmingham
Professor Alan Maryon-Davis
Chair, Best Beginnings, Hon Professor of Public Health
Department of Primary Care & Public Health Sciences
Kings College, London
Professor Elizabeth Meins
Department of Psychology
University of York
Dr R. Hamish McAllister-Williams
Reader in Clinical Psychopharmacology
Newcastle University
Dr Liz McDonald
Chair of Perinatal Faculty
Royal College of Psychiatrists
Dr Kirstie McKenzie-McHarg
Consultant Clinical Psychologist Honorary Research Fellow
City University
Professor Helen Minnis,
Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
University of Glasgow
Professor Derek Moore
Director of Institute for Research in Child Development
University of East London
Sarah Morton
Co-Director, Centre for Research on Families and Relationships
University of Edinburgh
Dr Heather O’Mahen,
Senior Lecturer in Clinical Psychology
University of Exeter.
Dr Magaret Oates OBE
Clinical Director, East Midlands Strategic Clinical Network, NHS England.
Dr ShantiniParanjothy
Clinical Senior Lecturer in Public Health Medicine
Cardiff University
Professor Carmine Pariante
Professor of Biological Psychiatry
Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King’s College London
Dr Susan Pawlby
Lecturer and Developmental Psychologist
Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King’s College London
Professor Stavros Petrou
Professor of Health Economics
The University of Warwick
Dr. Moira Plant
Emerita Professor of Alcohol Studies
University of the West of England
Dr Christine Puckering
Honorary Senior Research Fellow
University of Glasgow
Professor Mary Renfrew
Professor of Mother and Infant Health
University of Dundee
Professor Jane Sandall
Professor of Women’s Health
King’s College London
Dr Julia Sanders
Reader and Consultant Midwife,
Cardiff University
Dr Judy Shakespeare
RCGP Clinical Champion in Perinatal Mental Health
Professor Debbie Sharp
Professor of Primary Health Care
University of Bristol
Dr Helen Sharp
Senior Lecturer in Clinical Psychology
University of Liverpool
Professor Pauline Slade
Professor of Clinical Psychology
Chair Faculty of Perinatal Psychology for the British Psychological Society
University of Liverpool
Professor Mary Target
Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology
University College London
Professor Julie Taylor
Director, Child Protection Research Centre
University of Edinburgh
Grace Thomas
Professional Head of Midwifery and Lead Midwife for Education
Cardiff University
Professor EssiViding
Professor of Developmental Psychopathology
University College London
Dr Pamela Warner
Centre for Research on Families & Relationships,
University of Edinburgh
Professor Cathy Warwick OBE
Chief Executive
Royal College of Midwives
Dr Angelika Weick
Honorary Senior Lecturer
University of Manchester
Professor Phil Wilson
Professor of primary care and rural health
University of Aberdeen
Dr Anja Wittkowski
Senior Lecturer in Clinical Psychology
University of Manchester
Dr Julie Wray
Senior Lecturer School of Nursing, Midwifery, Social Work & Social Science, University of Salford