A decade of voices: maternal mental health awareness marks ten years

Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week runs from 4 to 10 May, with this year’s theme ‘a decade of voices’.

First launched in 2017, the event was created by PMHP UK to raise awareness for mental health problems that are experienced before, during and after pregnancy. 

To mark ten years since it was established, this year’s overarching theme is ‘a decade of voices’, with daily themes taking places throughout the week. These include:

• Monday – A decade of voices: celebrating 10 years of progress 
• Tuesday – Voices of experience: spotlighting parents’ lived experience across the decade 
• Wednesday – World Maternal Mental Health Day: joining the global community to raise awareness and break the stigma
• Thursday – Voices of care: highlighting the vital collaboration between families and professionals 
• Friday – Voices of change: focusing on advocacy, policy shifts and lived experience changemakers 
• Saturday – Voices of loss and healing: providing sensitive, supportive messaging for those navigating perinatal trauma, miscarriage, stillbirth and baby loss 
• Sunday – Voices of the future: looking ahead to the next generation of support, innovation and progress 

To illustrate the level of support that is still needed, research from NHS England shows up to one in five women develop a mental health issue during pregnancy or in the first year after birth. 

Devastatingly, separate data from 2022-24 shows women from Black ethnic backgrounds in England were nearly three times more likely to die compared to white women. 

• Last month we also reported on new research that found suicide remains the leading cause of maternal deaths

In a statement, PMHP UK said: ‘Our survey this year overwhelmingly showed how women do not feel listened to with regards to their mental health…We want to highlight the power of women knowing it is ok to express their needs, feelings and experiences.’

Against this backdrop, the London North West University Healthcare Trust has published a new video on their YouTube channel, pledging its support for Maternal Mental Health Awareness week. The video can be viewed below. 

Arsa Saleem, clinical director for women’s services at London North West, said: ‘It’s really important that we bring the humanity into conversations with families where mental health issues have been identified. 

‘It’s only really if we can try to understand the impact it has on these families, that we can start to support them properly and obviously communication is key. We can only do that if we properly use effective interpreting services.’

Meanwhile, the Maternal Mental Health Alliance has launched a perinatal mental health symptom checker, designed to help women better understand conditions such as anxiety, depression, postpartum psychosis, OCD, PTSD and eating disorders. 

Anyone can get involved in raising awareness this week, including by using the hashtag #MaternalMHmatters on social media.

Image: Oleg Sergeichik/UnSplash 

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