Blackpool Council Annual Health Report 2019 Blackpool Council Annual Health Report PAGES | Page 14

PARENTAL MENTAL HEALTH
Pregnancy related mental illnesses affects up to 30 in every 100 women following
childbirth or during pregnancy 2 . It is becoming more recognised that around 10% men
suffer impaired mental health around the time of becoming a father 3 . Pre-existing
mental health conditions in parents can also affect children’s health and wellbeing, and
approximately 68% of women and 57% of men with mental health problems are parents.
Women who lack social support have been found to be at increased risk of antenatal
and postnatal depression. Having a poor relationship with a partner is also a risk factor
for postnatal depression. In Blackpool, 9.2% of births were registered by just one parent,
which is higher than the average of 5.1%. Using the number of births which were
registered by just one parent may give a rough indication of the number of women that
are likely to lack the support of the father during pregnancy and as a new mother 4 .
Poor parental mental health can disrupt the bond formed between a baby and its parents,
and may affect the care they receive. Good mental health starts in infancy and research
shows that when the bond between a baby and its parents is interrupted or not formed,
there is a much higher risk of that baby developing mental health problems later in life,
than a child with a strong connection to the person who cares for them.
Blackpool Better Start run the Survivor Mums' Companion programme, designed to
support pregnant women who have a history of childhood trauma. The programme aims
to help survivors who are at risk of, or are experiencing, PSTD (post-traumatic stress
disorder) symptoms during pregnancy and helps them feel they are not the only one.
It is a telephone based service that provides pregnant women with information, emotional
support and the opportunity to learn new skills. The service explores pregnancy and birth,
PTSD symptoms, supports women to calm intense emotions and tackles any worries she
may have about parenting and bonding with her baby.
2. https://maternalmentalhealthalliance.org/about/the-issue/
3. https://www.nct.org.uk/life-parent/emotions/postnatal-depression-dads-10-things-you-should-know
4. Mental health in pregnancy, the postnatal period and babies and toddlers: Report for Blackpool local authority.
National Child and Maternal Health Intelligence Network, 2017.
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