Antenatal psychosocial health assessment tool
These risk factors are associated with
woman abuse, child abuse, postpartum depression and couple dysfunction
, and the risk factors are further grouped into four categories: family factors, maternal factors, substance use and family violence.
What are the effects of perinatal mental health?
Perinatal Mental Health
The term perinatal mental illness includes a range of conditions such as:
depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Tokophobia, bipolar affective disorder, postpartum psychosis, eating disorders and personality disorders
.
How common are perinatal mental health disorders?
Perinatal depression and anxiety are common, with prevalence rates for major and minor depression up to almost 20% during pregnancy and the first 3 months postpartum
. Postpartum blues are a common but lesser manifestation of postpartum affective disturbance.
When does the perinatal period begin?
The ICD-10 defines “perinatal” as the time period starting at
22 completed weeks (154 days) gestation
and lasting through seven days after birth.
What does perinatal mean in medical terms?
Perinatal is
the period of time when you become pregnant and up to a year after giving birth
. You might also have heard of the following terms: Antenatal or pre-natal meaning ‘before birth’
What is the most common perinatal mental illness?
Depression
is the most prevalent mental illness in the perinatal period, with around 10 to 14% of mothers affected during pregnancy or after the birth of a baby.
How common is perinatal anxiety?
While some anxiety at this time is normal,
around one in five women
may experience something called perinatal anxiety during their pregnancy through the first year after giving birth. This condition is characterised by high levels of anxiety.
What’s the difference between prenatal and perinatal?
Prenatal care is often defined as the time before birth. This is when a soon-to-be mother will come in for check-ups and care before the birth of their child. Perinatal care is the time before and after birth.
What does a perinatal mental health midwife do?
Support, assist and advise women with, or at risk of, perinatal mental illness and their families to supplement the care provided by their midwives where necessary
, for example working with women and their midwives to develop individual care plans, and making referrals to additional specialist support where required.
Why is perinatal care important?
Regular prenatal care throughout your pregnancy
helps to catch potential concerns early and reduces the risk of pregnancy and birth complications
. As soon as you suspect you are pregnant, make an appointment with your OB/Gyn.
How can I improve my perinatal mental health?
- talk about your feelings to a friend, family member, doctor or midwife.
- try calming breathing exercises if you feel overwhelmed.
- do physical activity if you can – it can improve your mood and help you sleep.
- eat a healthy diet with regular meals.
- try to attend antenatal classes to meet other pregnant people.
What causes perinatal mental health issues?
Causes. While there is no single cause for perinatal mental illness, there are a number of risk factors. These include
hormonal changes, traumatic pregnancy or birth, financial or relationship stress, social isolation and previous reproductive issues such as infertility
.
What are the common MH disorders that are experienced in the perinatal period?
The most common mental health problems that women in the perinatal period experience are
depression and anxiety
[ footnote 2 ]
. Improving access to psychological therapy ( IAPT ) services, as described in Working age adults, should be able to meet the needs of both the mother (and/or father) and the infant
[ footnote 11 ]
.
What are the stages of perinatal?
There are three stages of prenatal development:
germinal, embryonic, and fetal
.
What happens during the perinatal stage?
The perinatal period, which we here define as pregnancy and the first year postpartum, is a time in women’s lives that involves
significant physiological and psychosocial change and adjustment, including changes in their social status and decision-making power
.
What happens during the perinatal period?
The perinatal period, broadly defined, encompasses the time frame from one year before to 18 to 24 months after the birth of the child. This period constitutes a window of opportunity through which
parent-infant interaction may be reinforced, offering the possibility of decreasing the risk of family dysfunction
.
When does the perinatal period begin and end?
The perinatal period commences at
20 completed weeks (140 days) of gestation and ends 28 completed days after birth
.
What is perinatal psychosis?
Postpartum psychosis is
a serious mental health illness that can affect someone soon after having a baby
. It affects around 1 in 500 mothers after giving birth. Many people who have given birth will experience mild mood changes after having a baby, known as the “baby blues”.
Is health anxiety a mental illness?
How is health anxiety diagnosed?
Health anxiety is no longer included in the American Psychological Association Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
. It was previously called hypochondriasis (better known as hypochondria).
What is perinatal anxiety?
Anxiety is a natural response people experience when they feel unsafe or threatened. So, perinatal anxiety involves
the changes to one’s thoughts, actions, feelings, and bodily sensations during pregnancy and after the baby is born
.
