Lizzy Buchan: New mothers need better mental health support

One in five women in Scotland is affected by some form of mental health during pregnancy or following childbirth. Picture: TSPL

MENTALLY ill mothers ought to get far better perinatal care, says Lizzy Buchan

Having a baby is supposed to be one of the most wonderful experiences of a woman’s life. But imagine if it wasn’t.

One in five women in Scotland is affected by some form of mental health during pregnancy or following childbirth, which equates to around 11,000 babies being born each year to mothers experiencing these difficulties, according to analysis by the Mental Welfare Commission (MWC).

That is not a minor sub-group but a significant number of mothers, each with partners, family and friends who will undoubtedly be affected.

But after being swept aside and misunderstood for so long, mental health is finally getting the attention it deserves.

The issue has risen up the political agenda, where MSPs from all parties are calling for parity between mental and physical health.

Yet this week Scotland’s first national study of perinatal mental healthcare found “significant gaps” in provision for women with postnatal depression, postpartum psychosis and other severe mental illnesses.

A third of mothers who were admitted to hospital were placed in general adult wards, rather than specialist mother and baby units, which means they were often separated from their babies for prolonged periods.

Being separated from your child against your will at this critical point must be devastating.

It also goes directly against both clinical guidelines and the Mental Health Act, which both demand health boards do everything they can to keep mothers with their babies except in the most compelling circumstances.

General adult wards are usually completely unsuitable for children to visit and these facilities are unlikely to provide to appropriate care.