We’re supporting a campaign calling for women and families to have equitable access to perinatal mental health care.

The Maternal Mental Health Alliance (MMHA) – which we’re part of – has launched its Make All Care Count drive, which aims to ensure everyone who comes into contact with women before, during or after pregnancy has the opportunity to provide mental health support.

It’s the latest phase of MMHA’s wider Everyone’s Business campaign, which calls for all women throughout the UK who experience a perinatal mental health problem to receive the care and support they and their families need, wherever and whenever they need it.

The MMHA is a coalition of more than 100 organisations, including BACP, working with clinicians and experts by experience to improve mental health support during pregnancy and postnatally.

Perinatal mental health

Jo Holmes, our Children, Young People and Families Lead, said: “We’re pleased to be supporting this important campaign.

“More than one in 10 women develop a mental health issue during pregnancy or in the early years after having a baby, and the pandemic, lockdowns and social-distancing rules have exacerbated the problems.

“Perinatal mental health problems can have a huge impact on new and expectant mums, and their families, so it’s vital that the support is there for them when they need it.”

Emily Slater, CEO of the MMHA, said: “I’m delighted the MMHA is launching ‘Make all care count’ to expand our campaign focus to other areas of essential care that can dramatically affect the lives of women with perinatal mental health problems.

“Specialist services continue to be the foundational building block for perinatal mental health care but, on their own, they cannot meet the needs of all women and families.”

Making all care count for women and their families

Everyone who comes into contact with women before, during or after pregnancy has the opportunity to provide mental health support. All care counts.

Only by taking a proactive, rounded approach to maternal mental health can the significant human and economic costs of undiagnosed or untreated PMH problems be prevented.

The MMHA’s ‘Make all care count’ campaign phase highlights and defines those services – in addition to specialist PMH services – that can play a crucial role in improving outcomes for women with or at risk of poor maternal mental health, including:

  • Maternity services
  • Health visiting
  • GPs and other primary care
  • Mental health services
  • Parent-infant services
  • Children’s services
  • Voluntary and community services

The MMHA’s ‘Make all care count’ campaign phase calls for:

All women and families across the UK to have equitable access to comprehensive, high-quality PMH care, including and beyond specialist PMH services.

This includes:

  • A confident, well equipped workforce delivering excellent, safe PMH care and support.
  • Care for all women, including those impacted by inequalities.
  • Specialist PMH services that meet national standards and act as a catalyst for change within the wider system of care.