Pregnancy is a time of joy for many mums and dads. Yet as many as 20% of parents experience anxiety or depression during pregnancy and the first year after birth – the perinatal period.
Mental health difficulties during this time are common but often go unrecognised, and the stakes are high. The NHS’s Future in Mind report (pdf) cites the “strong link between parental (particularly maternal) mental health and children’s mental health” and the staggering long-term cost to society – estimated to be about £8.1bn for each one-year cohort of births in the UK. The case for more effective support is clear.
That’s why at the NSPCC we have developed a new preventative mental health service for expectant mums and dads, Pregnancy in Mind. Early indications suggest parents taking part in the programme have experienced a reduction in symptoms of anxiety and depression, and feel more prepared for parenthood.
Here are five methods that underpin the programme which we have found can help support parents with anxiety and depression in the perinatal period.
1 Using mindfulness techniques to help parents live in the moment and adopt an accepting attitude
Mindfulness techniques encourage parents to pay attention to their thoughts and feelings in the moment, which can help them to adopt an accepting attitude. As well as being popular amongst expectant parents, it’s been shown to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety in pregnant women (pdf). Mindfulness can also be used to help with parenting problems. A mindful mum might be aware she is stressed and be able to pause and respond to her child in a considered and compassionate way, rather than immediately reacting in a frustrated way.
2 Support parents in finding ways to relax
A key part of the programme involves supporting parents to relax. Active relaxation, focusing on the body and breathing, can reduce stress levels in parents and help them to provide more sensitive, calm and measured responses to their babies. Active relaxation activities include learning slow and controlled breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, therapeutic movement and stretch, and can be aided through massage. Massage therapy is particularly effective in reducing antenatal and postnatal depression, as well as improving the couple relationship if delivered by a partner.
3 Build parents’ knowledge of their mental health problems
It’s important to build parents’ awareness and knowledge of their mental health problems. This is known as psychoeducation and is grounded in the belief that an individual will be better equipped to cope with mood difficulties and take steps to improve their wellbeing if they understand more about them. It’s also thought to improve the self-efficacy and help-seeking of individuals and their families.
Research shows brief psychoeducational interventions can reduce symptoms of perinatal anxiety and depression, and that they’re likely to have greatest impact when supported by cognitive behavioural approaches and information about coping techniques and strategies.
4 Enable parents to make friends and support other new parents
We know that meeting and making friends with other new parents is a key reason parents attend antenatal programmes. As well as being popular, social support is key to parents’ emotional wellbeing and has been found in studies to protect against poor mental health.
Growing recognition of the importance of social support during the perinatal period has led to more emphasis on peer support programmes. Pregnancy in Mind uses peer support on the basis that parents are more receptive to information and support from fellow parents or those who have also experienced mental health difficulties. Research has found that peer support programmes can protect against developing postnatal depression, reduce symptoms of stress, and relieve loneliness and isolation.
5 Help parents tune in to how their babies are feeling
Parents attending Pregnancy in Mind learn how to tune in to their baby. This is known as mind-mindedness and focuses on how parents talk in an attuned way about what their babies might be thinking or feeling while they interact together. Research has shown that parents who are mind-minded find parenting less stressful, interact more sensitively with their babies and are more likely to have infants who are securely attached.
For more information about Pregnancy in Mind and how we’re evaluating it visit the NSPCC website or contact Camilla Rosan at camilla.rosan@nspcc.org.uk
Content on this page is produced and controlled by the NSPCC, sponsor of the Guardian Social Care Network practice hub.
