UPDATE: The article has been updated to make it clearer that all parents involved in the survey had experienced a perinatal mental illnesses.
More than 50% of parents with a perinatal mental illness contemplated taking their own lives while they were ill, a charity report has found.
On top of this, 80% of the 1,047 parents who had experienced a mental illness during pregnancy or after birth surveyed by PANDAS Foundation (Pre And Postnatal Depression Advice and Support)believe there is not enough support for perinatal mental illnesses.
Just over a quarter (28%) of the parents involved in the small scale study said their first visit to a health care professional about their mental illness did not lead to diagnosis or support.
“We know first hand from our users how terrible these illnesses can be and how vital support services are,” Amy Dear, a spokesperson from PANDAS told The Huffington Post UK.
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PANDAS Foundation ran the survey in conjunction with ITV Regional News to mark the launch of the UK’s first ever Pre- and Postnatal DepressionAwareness Week (#PNDAW16) from 5 to 11 September 2016.
Among the parents involved in the survey, 82% have suffered from postnatal depression and 52% experienced postnatal anxiety.
A third of parents with a pre- or postnatal mental illness said they didn’t get the amount of support from their family and friends they felt they needed.
Dear believes breaking down the stigma that is attached to mental illness will help new parents get the support they need.
“When people are suffering with the affects of postnatal depression they often believe they will be judged, misunderstood or even dismissed for how they feel,” she explained.
“It’s an illness that attacks people at a very vulnerable time, and that can make people afraid to speak up.”
According to Dear many people questioned in the survey said it would have helped if they had been given more information about PND and other mental illnesses, both pre- and postnatally.
“It would definitely make a difference to have information given to women on their booking appointments, and having their mental wellbeing assessed at sustainer appointments,” she said.
“We need to prioritise giving mental health the same importance as physical wellbeing.”
Where can parents get support?
“The most important thing is to speak to someone,” said Dear.
“Friends and family care and will want to help their loved ones. GPs can also diagnose postnatal depression and other perinatal mental illnesses.
“It’s important for those suffering to get a diagnosis and find out what treatment is best for them.
“If they aren’t comfortable speaking to their GP, they can also speak to midwives, health visitors or go to walk-in centres.”
Dear also suggested peer support groups, such as the ones that run at PANDAS, where you can speak to other parents in the same situation.
For information and support:
PANDAS Foundation: Call the PANDAS helpline on 0843 2898 401 or speak to others with peer-to-peer support through the online community.
Mind: Learn more about perinatal mental illnesses and hear stories from others who have been through similar experiences.
The Association for Postnatal Illness: Call their helpline on 020 7386 0868. They also have information and a network of volunteers to provide support.
Samaritans: Call their helpline on 08457 90 90 90 for “confidential non-judgemental emotional support” 24 hours a day.
House Of Light: Support for those suffering with postnatal depression through a helpline (0800 043 2031) and information online.
This Is How Bad It Is To Be A Young Person With Mental Health Issues In 2016
Nearly a quarter of children and young people are being turned away by providers(01 of09)
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Child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) are turning away nearly a quarter (23%) of all children and young people referred to them for help by parents, GPs, teachers and others.
You might not be able to access specialist support if your BMI isn’t low enough(02 of09)
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CentreForum noted that in some cases, support for anorexia was denied unless a young person was under a certain BMI threshold. (credit:Donald Iain Smith via Getty Images)
You might not be able to get specialist support if you’re hearing voices(03 of09)
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Criteria in one area suggested those “hearing voices in the context of mild anxiety, low self-esteem or low mood” should see their GP or voluntary sector counselling service and only be referred to CAMHS if they “heard voices that command particular behaviours”. (credit:H. Armstrong Roberts/ClassicStock via Getty Images)
You might not be able to access specialist support if you've only expressed suicidal thoughts once(04 of09)
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CentreForum found one CAMHS would refer people to more generic support unless they had “enduring suicidal ideation” (i.e. they had felt they wanted to commit suicide on more than one occasion). (credit:Jacques LOIC via Getty Images)
You might not be able to get specialist support if your condition hasn't reached a high level of severity(05 of09)
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In some areas, referrals were not accepted unless the young person's condition was “having a major impact on the child’s life such as an inability to attend school or involving a major breakdown in family relationships”. (credit:Arvydas Kniuk?ta via Getty Images)
Maximum waiting times for services have more than doubled in the last two years(06 of09)
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CentreForum's analysis of NHS Benchmarking data found that the average of the maximum waiting times for all providers has more than doubled since 2011/12. (credit:Hero Images via Getty Images)
Maximum and average waiting times vary greatly(07 of09)
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Respondents reported maximum waiting times ranging from four weeks to over two and a half years. The average of these longest waiting times for each service was nearly 10 months for treatment to begin.
Average waiting times for different providers also varied widely, from two weeks in Cheshire to 19 weeks in North Staffordshire. The average waiting time in Gateshead is five times as long as for those in nearby Tyneside. Similarly, waits in London vary widely from two months in Kensington and Chelsea to nearly six months in neighbouring Brent. (credit:Aaron McCoy via Getty Images)
There were also 'hidden waits' concealed in average waiting times(08 of09)
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CentreForum has uncovered that the median of the maximum waiting times for all providers was 26 weeks (6 months) for a first appointment and nearly ten months (42 weeks) for the start of treatment.
Some providers did not even measure waiting times at all, meaning that some patients could even be waiting longer than this. (credit:Jupiterimages via Getty Images)
Where you live can affect how much is spent on your treatment(09 of09)
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CentreForum’s analysis of regional expenditure on mental health also revealed a North/South divide, with northern regions spending more on services while capacity problems exist in the South. (credit:Sverrir Thorolfsson Iceland via Getty Images)