Perinatal Mental Health

Hi everyone,

My name is Maria,

I’d like to tell you about the Perinatal Mental Health Service. This is a new community based service for women of childbearing age with mental health needs. We offer assessment, treatment and preconception advice for women considered to be at risk of mental illness.

For many women, becoming pregnant and having a baby is the most significant life-changing event they will ever experience. Trying to cope with day-to-day life and the additional limitations and demands of pregnancy, or a new baby can lead to some women experiencing depression or anxiety. We know that women who have experienced mental health problems in the past are more likely to be affected. Undetected or untreated maternal mental illness may lead to long term problems for the whole family, including the father.

We recognise the value of “listening” to the experience of the people accessing our services; their feedback has allowed us to review and improve the services we provide:

Sally told us “your services could have been and should have been more responsive and user and family centred”.

Sally became an integral member of the ‘design team’ during the planning stage of the Perinatal Mental Health Service and was involved in the recruitment of senior nursing staff to the project.

We aim to provide an excellent standard of care so that women experience positive pregnancies and their children have the best chance of a healthy start in life. The service also provides advice and support to families. We offer appointments at various locations throughout Lanarkshire, as well as seeing women in their own home depending on their individual circumstances.

We work with women and their families to achieve their agreed outcomes. We also work closely with the other health and social care providers as well as colleagues in education to promote better planning and co-ordination of treatment in an attempt to limit the impact of perinatal mental illness.

Sally said‘My main priority is spending time with my two children, close behind is my passion to improve services, support services for families living with PND’ .......I’m in the process of setting up two peer support groups in Lanarkshire to help other families, to reduce the stigma associated with this illness because no one should suffer alone.’

Sally was a keynote speaker at the NHS Lanarkshire Perinatal Mental Health Conference in March 2015, which had both local and national representation. Her journey was warmly and humbly received by all members of the audience. You can find out more about Sally’s support group by e-mailing lanarkshirepnd@gmail.com

Patient experience and feedback will continue to influence and shape the development of the Perinatal Mental Health Service in Lanarkshire.

For further information about the service please contact Senior Charge Nurse Helen Sloan on Tel No: 01698 242453 helen.sloan@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk

If you have an experience of NHS Lanarkshire services you’d like to share, please speak to a member of staff, respond on Patient Opinion, or visit the “Your Feedback” Section of the NHS Lanarkshire website to see the other ways to get in touch www.nhslanarkshire.org.uk