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Image: Xolelwa by Simon Wood, from our film 'Caring for mothers'.
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The PMHP has a vision that all women will have access to mental health care during and after pregnancy.
This care should be routinely incorporated into existing maternity
services.
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Addressing the negative cycle of mental illness and poverty during the perinatal period can have positive developmental impacts on women, their children, and the wider community.
That is why the PMHP believes that caring for mothers is caring for the future.
To achieve its vision, the Project aims to treat and prevent mental health problems around pregnancy by partnering with public health services.
After 7 years of experience the Project has made a significant contribution toward building a model of comprehensive care through 4 key interventions:
- screening, counselling and psychiatric services for women during the perinatal period
- interactive mental health training for a wide range of health providers
- research to promote a relevant and evidence-based mental health service
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The mother-infant bond begins prior to the birth of the child and is adversely affected by maternal stress and mental illness ... detecting and reversing damage to this bond through providing maternal mental health care is perhaps the single most effective way to reduce the incidence of preventable mental illness in children, adolescents and future adult members of the community.
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