Health visitors please help the NSPCC and Mellow Parenting with an important new piece of work

Research suggests that 10-15% of women are affected by anxiety and depression in the perinatal period, and around half of new fathers with depressed partners are depressed themselves. As Health Visitors you will know better than anyone, that there is insufficient high quality support available for these parents.

 

Mellow Parenting and the NSPCC are developing a new evidence-based service for parents with perinatal mental health problems and their babies. This service will be piloted by the NSPCC and, if successful, made available more widely. We hope that, in the future, it will be available for parents in your area.

 

When mothers or fathers have mental health problems in the perinatal period this can affect their child’s development. Our new service will therefore work with both mothers and fathers to reduce the impact of their mental health problems on their baby.

 

The design of this new service is being informed by a comprehensive literature review and interviews with parents, practitioners and commissioners. We are keen to talk to Health Visitors to gather your expert views about the needs of parents with perinatal anxiety and depression, and the best ways to support them.

 

If you are happy to share your insights in a 20 minute phone call or via an electronic survey, please email [email protected]  to arrange a suitable time or to be sent the survey link.