The Covid-19 pandemic was particularly difficult for our patients who became new parents during this time and yet during 'Lockdown:1' our local Perinatal Mental Health Team saw around a 75% drop in the referral rates into the service. The reasons for this were multifactorial however the emphasis going forwards is to ensure that all of us working in the community feel confident recognising, diagnosing and managing mental health problems during this difficult time of life.
• Would you like to feel more confident recognising and managing mental health problems in the perinatal period? (in both women and their partners?)
• Would you like more information about help and support available in the community for these patients?
• Would you like to better understand who, when and how to refer? (with the help of a downloadable EMIS template to be used within practice)
Currently in the UK around 20% of new mums are affected by mental health issues yet only 50% of these are being detected and managed appropriately. Untreated perinatal mental illness can have huge and devastating implications for not only these women but their families and society as a whole.
Please join Dr Lucy Blunt for an essential online update to hopefully answer some of the questions and concerns listed above. We will discuss recent changes and improvements to the care and management of women and their families in the perinatal period, information regarding the new referral pathways, EMIS templates available for use in practice, improving detection rates in dads/partners, alternative services available in the community and the impact of lockdown on the families that we care for.