Maternity services must prioritise mental health, says Mental Health Foundation

In response to the Healthcare Commission’s 2007 Maternity Service Review, Dr Andrew McCulloch, Chief Executive of the Mental Health Foundation, said:

“Mental distress during and after pregnancy is common, and so women should rightly expect to be supported properly if they experience problems. The fact that nearly half of health trusts do not even have access to a specialist mental health service is bad news for mothers.

Any programme of investment or reform of maternity services needs to include mental health as an urgent priority. This is an area where mental health cannot continue to be brushed under the carpet, the consequences are too serious.”

An untreated mental health problem not only adds to the already considerable stresses of motherhood, but can also have a long term negative impact on the physical and mental well-being of the child and place the wider family under strain.”

Postnatal depression is believed to affect between eight and 15 per cent of women and is not the same as the ‘baby blues’ which affects many woman but lasts only a few days.

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