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Supporting women with perinatal mental health problems: the role of the voluntary sector
- Authors:
- COE Chris, BARLOW Jane
- Journal article citation:
- Community Practitioner, 86(2), 2013, pp.23-27.
- Publisher:
- Community Practitioners' and Health Visitors' Association
The prevalence of perinatal mental health problems is high, with estimates suggesting that around a fifth of women experience anxiety and/or depression during the ante- and post-natal period. The charity Family Action established a Perinatal Support Project in 2010 in 4 areas (Hackney, West Mansfield, Swaffham and Oxford). The service for mothers who were either affected by, or at risk of, postnatal depression and other mental health problems included use of trained volunteer befrienders and targeted support groups. This article describes an evaluation of the pilot phase of the Perinatal Support Project, which aimed to measure outcomes for service participants and volunteer befrienders engaged in the project and explore stakeholder perceptions and experiences. The evaluation included collection of quantitative data and interviews with a range of participants providing, receiving and referring to the service. The article describes the methodology and sets out the results, with examples from the stakeholder interviews. The findings of the evaluation showed high levels of need, promising results in terms of outcomes for parents, and that the service appeared to be serving a population of women with complex needs and filling a gap in service provision.