We had a truly inspirational day at the 5th iHV PIMH conference Coming Together: Belong, Be Curious, Believe! held on Monday 19 June. 180 people convened in Manchester, including many of our Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Champions and those working alongside them, plus another 150 delegates joined us online.
It took place on International Fathers’ Mental Health Day and we were delighted that DadPad and Dad Matters hosted a very special finale celebration – complete with everyone joining in the dad dancing routine!
This conference was all about coming together, reconnecting and strengthening our sense of belonging and our belief, and our commitment in what we can achieve. Delegates were encouraged throughout the day to explore, to be curious and to wonder together about what some of the latest research and innovation in PIMH means in relation to providing safe, personalised, inclusive high-quality PIMH care.
This multi-agency conference was a jam-packed day with a phenomenal line-up of academic, parental, professional, and creative leaders who delivered talks on the latest thinking in PIMH, and amazing brave dads talking about their personal stories and lived-experiences.
Speakers and sessions included:
- ‘We don’t see Black women’: Ethnic inequalities in perinatal mental health – Professor Dawn Edge, Professor of Mental Health & Inclusivity and Academic Lead for Equality Diversity & Inclusion, University of Manchester
- Trauma and adversity – messages from Maternal Deaths – Dr Andrew Cairns, Consultant Perinatal Psychiatrist, Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust
- Gender Equality: Transforming the role of fathers in the perinatal period – Kieran Anders and Mike Sandiford – Dad Matters
- An important focus: The mental health of young parents and their babies – Dr Louise Dalton, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, University of Oxford and Dr Elizabeth Rapa, Senior Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Oxford
- In Conversation with the World Association of Infant Mental Health (WAIMH) and the International Marcé Society for Perinatal Mental Health (MARCE) – Professor Jane Barlow, The WAIMH Lecture Professor of Evidence Based Intervention & Policy Evaluation at the Department of Social Policy & Intervention, University of Oxford
- Professor Vivette Glover – The MARCE Lecture – Perinatal Mental Health and its effects on the child Changes in understanding over the last 43 years-since founding of the Marce Society Visiting Professor of Perinatal Psychobiology, Imperial College London
- Understanding and supporting the mental health of babies and young children – a toolkit to support local action – Sally Hogg, Senior Policy Fellow, Centre for Research on Play in Education, Development & Learning (PEDAL), University of Cambridge
- Measuring outcomes in parent and infant relationship work – Dr Karen Bateson, Infant Mental Health Specialist, National Consultant
- Transcending Gendered Language: The impact of language on the mental health of trans parents – Jacob Stokoe, Director, Transparent Change CIC
- Mothers and others – expanding our thinking about parental mental health – Dr Zoe Darwin, Reader in Health Research, University of Huddersfield
Some of the feedback:
“On my way home from the fab #iHVPIMH2023 conference today in Manchester and my brain is definitely buzzing like that bee hive. Lots of info and inspirational speakers to reflect on and fantastic to see people in real life too”
“Delighted to be joining @iHealthVisiting‘s #iHVPIMH2023 online today. We’ve had a packed morning hearing from amazing perinatal and infant mental health colleagues discussing trauma, inequity for Black mothers and young mums, as well as dads’ experiences. Much more to come…”
“Fabulous to be meeting in person at todays conference”
“Loved @KarenJBateson presentation today at @iHealthVisiting #iHVPIMH2023 re measuring outcomes in parent-infant relationship work, made even more memorable by the references to Tears for Fears”
“Incredibly moving story from Mike Sandiford. Especially after a traumatic event but all dads need to be be included in mental health questions and support #iHVPIMH2023 @dadsmatteruk “
