Charities united in call to protect new mothers and pregnant women from mental health problems
Two generations of Scots can be protected at once if gaps in mental health support for pregnant women and new mothers are addressed.
The call comes from the NSPCC and Maternal Health Scotland as the charities launched new research showing “significant gaps” remain in the provision of specialist perinatal mental health services, training and education of professionals.
Support is also lacking in terms of access to therapies and in the prescribing of medication for mothers during pregnancy and breastfeeding, the research says.
With 10-15% percent of women in Scotland affected by mental ill-health during pregnancy and birth (the perinatal period), the NSPCC says the benefits of supporting vulnerable mothers will last their children a lifetime.
Matt Forde, head of NSPCC Scotland services, said: “Scotland is making more progress in supporting pregnant women and new mothers with mental health problems than the other UK nations.
Key recommendations in Getting it Right for Mothers and Babies include:
- All NHS boards should have local specialised perinatal mental health services
- Each
NHS board should have a local multi-professional perinatal mental health
network
- Pregnant
and postnatal women with mental health problems should have rapid access
to talking therapies - All
women with or at risk of serious perinatal mental illness should be seen
by specialist perinatal mental health services
- All
health professionals working with pregnant and postnatal women should have
up to date knowledge on maternal mental illness
“By addressing the gaps that remain we can support mothers, at this vulnerable and important time, to give their children the very best start in life.
“The new health and social care partnerships that are being established across Scotland give us an opportunity to make a real difference for mothers at risk of mental ill-health and their babies.
“We know that children of mothers experiencing perinatal mental illness are at increased risk of prematurity, low birth weight and sleep problems.
“And the relationship between a baby and their primary caregiver can affect their self-esteem, resilience and ability to socialise.
“This in turn can affect a child’s behaviour and academic abilities when they get to school. But we also know that all mothers want the best for their children.
“By improving detection rates for mental health issues and ensuring the right primary care and specialist support is available for every mother who needs it, we can make a real difference for both her and her child.”
Elaine Clark, chair of Maternal Mental Health Scotland, said: “Scotland has made progress in developing services however, the report highlights that significant gaps remain, particularly in the lack of community specialised services.
She said: “All women should have equal access to services wherever they live in Scotland. Scotland is uniquely placed to plan services to meet local and national needs, and this report sets out a framework for how they can be delivered.”
