Reaching women with perinatal mental illness at the booking-in appointment

Haynes, E

Abstract

Purpose
The paper looks at the positive future gains of reaching women with perinatal mental illness at the first midwifery booking-in appointment, a unique opportunity that could be more widely used as a point of detection, awareness and prevention of illness in the perinatal period.

Design/methodology/approach
A more robust section of this appointment that includes focused detection and awareness of prior and current mental health concerns as well as the stigma attached to these conditions will allow midwives to signpost women to get much needed treatment prior to delivery. Suitable treatment options also need to be available and in place at this point.

Findings
The existing booking-in process, for highlighting and diagnosing mental health conditions, has limited suitability. Detection in the postnatal period has inherent difficulties due to time pressures on women, the costs to the mother, baby, family and the economic costs to society, which are considerable. The postnatal period may be too late for treatment, with the harm already done to the woman, their baby and their family.

Research limitations/implications
Research is needed to assess the efficacy of such a strategy, including the costs to train the midwives to deliver this additional service, and the consideration of suitable treatment options at the antenatal stage. This may help to reduce the high levels of attrition within treatment programmes currently running.

Originality/value
This paper fulfils a need to diagnose and prevent perinatal mental illness at an earlier point in pregnancy.

Citation

Haynes, E. (2018). Reaching women with perinatal mental illness at the booking-in appointment. International Journal of Health Governance, 23(1), 38-45. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJHG-08-2017-0044

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 9, 2017
• Online Publication Date: Jan 10, 2018
• Publication Date: Jan 10, 2018
• Deposit Date: Nov 20, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 20, 2017
• Journal: International Journal of Health Governance
• Print ISSN: 2059-4631
• Publisher: Emerald
• Volume: 23
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 38-45
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJHG-08-2017-0044
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/IJHG-08-2017-0044
• Related Public URLs: http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journal/ijhg