Perinatal multidisciplinary teams are necessary to identify mental health needs

In the call for the NHS to improve data on antenatal mental health screening, Trudi Seneviratne says, “It’s vital that women experiencing mental illness receive timely specialist support,” adding that “they are often embarrassed to ask for help, fearing people will view them as weak or unfit to be a mother. Some didn’t realise they were unwell, while others didn’t know how to get help.”1This is a widespread phenomenon, especially during an unfamiliar life experience such as pregnancy. Without much confidence about what is “normal,” pregnant women might not be able to articulate what is the matter when things are not right. A troubling change might be attributed to a physical problem when it is primarily mental or vice versa. And, of course, other kinds of stress might be present, usually feelings of shame, after domestic abuse, poverty, or social oppression.Antenatal clinical staff need more than “mental health checks” to…
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