Working in Perinatal Mental Health Specialist Services

The perinatal period is commonly defined as the time from when someone is confirmed as being pregnant, to the date of their baby's first birthday. in the recently published LTP this period has been extended to the first 2 years. The World Health Organisation defines maternal mental health as "a state of well-being in which a mother realizes her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully and is able to contribute to her community". UK estimates indicate that up to 27% of women develop a mental illness during pregnancy or within the first year after having a baby. Perinatal mental health problems are now a leading cause of maternal death. Mental health problems in the perinatal period often develop suddenly and range from mild and transient to extremely severe and life threatening.