Training in the Awareness of Perinatal Mental Health

Training in the Awareness of Perinatal Mental Health

17 Oct 2023

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This informal CPD article, ‘Training in the Awareness of Perinatal Mental Health’, was provided by Perinatal MH Training, an independent consultancy providing specialist training to those practitioners who deliver care to members of the community affected, (either directly or indirectly), by disorders of Perinatal Mental Health.

Introduction

Mental health disorders are, on the global scale, a public health concern. Many disorders and illnesses may be related to the mental health of the parents during the perinatal period. Some research has indicated that there may be a genetic risk, with epigenetic changes occurring in the fetus during pregnancy, which may be exacerbated by adverse childhood experiences (Arango et al 2021, Babenko et al 2015). There is overwhelming research to suggest that inhibiting or preventing these events, with effective and efficient management strategies, are vital to ameliorate the long-term effects for future generations.

Understanding the perinatal period

During the perinatal period, which extends from conception to 2 years following the birth of the infant, 20% of mothers and 10% of fathers suffer from mental ill health (Howard & Khalifeh, 2020). There is also the risk of difficulty in infant/parent interactions and dysfunctional parental relationships (Gentile & Fusco, 2017). In many countries, maternal mental illness remains the leading cause of mothers’ death. There are no available statistics for the number of fathers who may be affected, but it is known that suicide is the biggest cause of death in men under the age of 50 and around three quarters of deaths from suicides each year are men. It is likely that some of them were fathers.

How to treat and support perinatal mental health

There are several pathways which outline treatment and management options which include peer and social support, medication and therapeutic interventions. However, there have been several reports which have indicated that parents, and mothers in particular, have felt that their mental health before and after the birth of their baby, was either ignored or mismanaged. In one study only 50% of women with antenatal depression were diagnosed, and less than 10% received adequate treatment (Cox et al 2016).

Therefore, it is important that health and social care practitioners are able to understand, recognize, assess, manage and support parents who may be suffering from a perinatal mental illness or disorder. This is not always obvious as parents are aware that some may view anxiety or depressive symptoms as a sign of failure as a parent, and there remains the myth that if the parent admit to feeling this way, they will be judged as a bad parent, and their infant will be ‘taken away’.

Managing ways fathers’ needs are met

It is important to recognise that fathers’ behaviours during the perinatal period can often be misinterpreted and are sometimes misunderstood. Understanding these discrepancies is central to managing the ways in which fathers’ needs are met, to allow them the space and time to express how they feel. It is the skill of the practitioner to determine how behaviours may be interpreted and the knowledge to offer therapeutic interventions and support, as well as understanding limitations and to know where to refer, or signpost the parent, to appropriate organizations. These actions will develop a safe and efficient perinatal mental health service.

Equally, it is important to critique and to explore the messages about mental health that are conveyed to parents, remembering the more widespread the knowledge and understanding, the easier it will be to identify parents who are suffering. Thus, taking some of the onus off the practitioner and making it everyone’s responsibility.

We hope this article was helpful. For more information from Perinatal MH Training, please visit their CPD Member Directory page. Alternatively, you can go to the CPD Industry Hubs for more articles, courses and events relevant to your Continuing Professional Development requirements.

References

Arango C, Dragioti E, Solmi M, Cortese S, Domschke K, Murray RM, Jones PB, Uher R, Carvalho AF, Reichenberg A, Shin JI, Andreassen OA, Correll CU, Fusar-Poli P. Risk and protective factors for mental disorders beyond genetics: an evidence-based atlas. World Psychiatry. 2021 Oct;20(3):417-436. doi: 10.1002/wps.20894. PMID: 34505386

Babenko O, Kovalchuk I, Metz GA. Stress-induced perinatal and transgenerational epigenetic programming of brain development and mental health. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2015 Jan;48:70-91. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.11.013. Epub 2014 Nov 24. PMID: 25464029

Cox EQ, Sowa NA, Meltzer-Brody SE, Gaynes BN. The Perinatal Depression Treatment Cascade: Baby Steps Toward Improving Outcomes. J Clin Psychiatry. 2016 Sep;77(9):1189-1200. doi: 10.4088/JCP.15r10174. PMID: 27780317

Gentile S, Fusco ML. Untreated perinatal paternal depression: Effects on offspring. Psychiatry Res. 2017 Jun;252:325-332. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2017.02.064. Epub 2017 Mar 2. PMID: 28314228

Howard LM, Khalifeh H. Perinatal mental health: a review of progress and challenges. World Psychiatry. 2020 Oct;19(3):313-327. doi: 10.1002/wps.20769. PMID: 32931106; PMCID: PMC7491613


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Perinatal MH Training

For more information from Perinatal MH Training, please visit their CPD Member Directory page. Alternatively please visit the CPD Industry Hubs for more CPD articles, courses and events relevant to your Continuing Professional Development requirements.

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