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One charity's approach to perinatal depression and social inclusion
- Authors:
- BENYON Rhian, WAFULA Simon
- Journal article citation:
- Mental Health and Social Inclusion, 16(4), 2012, pp.206-210.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
The Perinatal Support Project is a home-based support service provided by the charity Family Action which promotes the role of social support in tackling perinatal depression. It is a community-based programme specifically for mothers at risk of mild to moderate depression and an example of multiagency working between statutory health services and the voluntary sector. It operates in 4 locations (Hackney, West Mansfield, Swaffham and Oxford), and provides intensive support throughout pregnancy and in the first year of a child's life. It involves professional perinatal project coordinators, whose role is to build multiagency partnerships and referral networks and to recruit and train volunteer befrienders to provide emotional and practical support to mothers in their homes and encourage them to engage with their local community and services. Women are referred to the project through routes such as midwives, GPs, health visitors and children's centres, or may self-refer. This article describes the structure of the Perinatal Support Project and the role of befrienders in supporting vulnerable mothers, alleviating maternal depression, reducing isolation and promoting community engagement. It also briefly reports on an evaluation which showed that, overall, the Perinatal Support Project is producing statistically significant improvements in reducing depression and anxiety, increasing social support, and improving mother-baby attachment.