Why a Focus on Maternal Mental Health Matters

“If we value our children, we must cherish their parents” (John Bowlby) 

I first created this post on RUOK Day 2018 via the Facebook page. Given that today is World Mental Health day, it seemed an appropriate choice to repost via the blog. I know that some would find these statistics alarming, personally, I find them reassuring. If we recognise that a significant portion of the population experience some form of distress at different parenting stages, we can make changes, within ourselves, our communities, and our country. WE as a village, need to feel safe to say, “I’m not ,” and have a right to access supports to manage those tricky feelings. 

I believe that knowledge is power… and I hope that getting the word out there, will help people to realise that mental health challenges ARE common, that having a mental illness (either emerging or persistent) does not make you less of a person, and 100% does not mean you have failed as a parent. 

When I am talking to people about understanding depression, I often share this powerful video “Living with a black dog”as I believe it captures the realities of so many of us in a relatable way. As always, I welcome your thoughts or feedback. 

If you, or someone you know needs support, don’t hesitate to call:

Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia (PANDA) — 1300 726 306

Lifeline — 131 114

BeyondBlue – 1300 22 4636

 

Why does a focus on maternal mental health matter?

Globally, perinatal mental health is a significant concern, and mothers are at increased risk for emergence or relapse of mental health challenges (COPE, 2017). An estimated 80% of women transitioning to motherhood experience emotional disturbance (Kelly, Davis, Connolly, & Sanders, 2016), and any expectant mother is at risk of developing perinatal mental health challenges (WHO, 2017). Australian and international studies have demonstrated that anxiety and depression are significantly higher during the perinatal period than at other points across the lifespan (COPE, 2017), and impacts approximately 100,000 Australian families every year (PANDA, n.d.). It is estimated that 20% of mothers experience anxiety during and/or following pregnancy, 10% of mothers experience depression during pregnancy, and 14% of mothers report experiencing postnatal depression in the first year (COPE, 2017). In Australia, between 2008-2012, over 15% of maternal deaths in the perinatal period were attributed to psychosocial causes (suicide) (AIHW, 2015 ) and 7.9% from 2012-2014 (AIHW, 2017). The AIWH (2017) indicate that maternal suicide is a significant concern to be prioritised in Australia, and most likely requires multisystemic intervention.

A focus on both the physical and mental health of a woman is fundamental to every phase of maternity care because mental health challenges have the potential to interfere with general happiness and wellbeing, impact on the pregnancy and childbirth experience, relationships, and care and bonding with child/ren (COPE, 2017). For the mother, this may mean limited access to health care, limited self-awareness of health and wellbeing, sleep disturbance, risk taking (including suicide and self-harm), and increased risks of domestic violence and drug and alcohol misuse (Williams & Cowling, 2014). For the infant and other children, a mother experiencing mental health challenges may be less responsive to her child/ren’s emotional and physical needs, which may lead to significant childhood challenges, such as poor attachment, increased stress and anxiety, and poor physical health (Williams & Cowling, 2014).

Poor parental wellbeing significantly impacts families and communities. In 2012, an estimated 96,156 people were experiencing perinatal depression, including 71,177 new mothers and 24,979 new fathers (Deloitte Access Economics, 2012). The financial cost to consumers, community and the Australian economy, including access to health services, productivity and tax revenue losses was conservatively estimated at $433.52 million (Deloitte Access Economics, 2012). Both mothers and fathers experiencing perinatal depression may experience significant loss in quality of life, which represents a significant disease burden in the Australian community (Deloitte Access Economics, 2012). Enhancing mental health and wellbeing of parents is beneficial for the family, and may also reduce demands on social and health services (The State of Queensland (Queensland Health), 2017).

“HELP START CONVERSATIONS EVERY DAY: Staying connected and having meaningful conversations is something we can all do. You don’t need to be an expert – just a good friend and a great listener. So, if you notice someone who might be struggling – start a conversation.” (RUOK, 2018) 

Should you wish to reference any material contained below, please attribute to Chelsey Stephenson, Parents in Progress, 2018. 

References: 

AIHW. (2015 , June 10). Maternal deaths in Australia 2008–2012. Retrieved from Australian Institute of Health and Welfare: https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/07bba8de-0413-4980-b553-7592089c4c8c/18796.pdf.aspx?inline=true on 16th May 2018

AIHW. (2017, December 08). Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Retrieved from Maternal deaths in Australia 2012–2014: https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/a8ff4563-b8f6-43b4-826e-a861522d825a/aihw-per-92.pdf.aspx?inline=true on 16th May 2018

COPE. (2017, October). Effective Mental Health Care in the Perinatal Period: Australian Clinical Practice Guideline. Retrieved from Centre of Perinatal Excellence: http://cope.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Mental-health-care-in-the-perinatal-period_COPE-Guideline.pdf on 16th May 2018

Deloitte Access Economics. (2012, 10 23). The cost of perinatal depression in Australia. Retrieved from Deloitte Access Economics: https://www2.deloitte.com/au/en/pages/economics/articles/perinatal-depression-australia-cost.html on 25th May 2018

Kelly, A., Davis, L., Connolly, J., & Sanders, D. (2016, June). Baby Steps: Promoting perinatal mental health and wellbeing. Development and evaluation of screening and intervention programs for both parents, using the internet and text messages (SMS). Retrieved from beyondblue: research projects: https://www.beyondblue.org.au/about-us/research-projects/research-projects on 24 September 2017

PANDA. (n.d.). Emotional and mental health support for new and expecting dads. Retrieved from How Is Dad Going?: http://www.howisdadgoing.org.au/ on 16th May 2018

The State of Queensland (Queensland Health). (2017, September). Transition to Parenthood Perinatal Mental Health and Wellness Program. Retrieved from QCPIMH research: https://www.childrens.health.qld.gov.au/research-projects-transition-to-parenthood-pmh-wellness-program/ on 16th May 2018

WHO. (2017). Maternal Mental Health . Retrieved from World Health Organisation – Mental Health : http://www.who.int/mental_health/maternal-child/maternal_mental_health/en/ on 16 September 2017

Williams, A. S., & Cowling, V. (2014). Infants of Parents With Mental Illness. Brisbane: Australian Academic Press.