At Ellescope, Every week is Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week.
Reflecting on #MMHAW, here are five important and insightful pieces of content that deeply resonate with us and underscore the urgent need for dedicated attention to maternal mental health:
1️. ‘The urgent need to support and invest in the mental wellbeing of parents’ by Dr Alain Gregoire
Dr Alain Gregoire is a Consultant Perinatal Psychiatrist, President and Founder of the Maternal Mental Health Alliance (MMHA), and chair of the Global Alliance for Maternal Mental Health. His essay explores the critical importance of investing in parents' mental health to mitigate the long-term impact of adverse childhood experiences and improve societal well-being across generations.
Read the essay here.
2️. The real stories of mothers on the Maternal Mental Health Alliance (MMHA) website
MMHA has a network of 'Lived Experience Champions', including mothers, fathers, siblings and grandparents from across the UK whose lives have been impacted by perinatal mental illness. A story that particularly struck a chord was Chrissy’s story, who said she “felt pressure as a Black mum that I’d be judged and not listened to and scared my children would be taken away if I spoke up”. Another woman from London explained that “Many black women do feel judged by the colour of their skin when accessing healthcare services and often feel they have had a second-class experience.”
3️. Maternity Worldwide’s Three Delays Model
Maternity Worldwide uses an integrated approach to address each of the issues women face when trying to access safe childbirth. This approach is based on the Three Delays Model, which identifies three groups of factors that may stop women and girls from accessing the maternal health care they need: 1. Delay in the decision to seek care; 2. Delay in reaching care; 3. Delay in receiving adequate health care.
Read more here: https://bit.ly/4bp85q6
4️. PANDAS’ free helpline
PANDAS is a UK-based charity that offers hope, empathy and support for every parent or network affected by perinatal mental illness. As well as free resources, toolkits and workshops, PANDAS has several options that those living with pre and postnatal depression can access. These include a free helpline, a bookable call service, WhatsApp support, email support, support groups and online social media support groups.
Explore PANDAS here: https://pandasfoundation.org.uk/
5️. ‘The barriers to UK maternal mental healthcare’ by Anna Demming for The Guardian
In the UK, up to 20% of new mothers experience mental health issues, yet access to mother-and-baby units (MBUs) for treatment is uneven. Over the years, the UK has seen improvements in recognising and addressing maternal mental health, yet significant gaps remain, impacting not only the mothers but also their children and broader family dynamics. Efforts continue to address these issues amid broader societal challenges, such as the current economic strain, which disproportionately affects vulnerable families.
Read the article: https://bit.ly/4bs2fnU
We're motivated and energised by the contributions of these charities and organisations, which all work to support people before, after, and during pregnancy.
