FUNDAMENTAL FACTS ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH 2016

• Perinatal mental health problems
carry a total economic and social
long-term cost to society of about
£8.1 billion for each one-year cohort
of births in the UK. 120
• In 2014, a confidential inquiry
investigated the care of 237 women
in the UK and the Republic of Ireland
who died during or after pregnancy,
or who survived and endured severe
morbidity. Findings revealed that
one in seven women died from
suicide between six weeks and
one year after giving birth. Almost
a quarter of women who died
between six weeks and one year
after pregnancy died from mentalhealth-related
causes. 121
Access to prenatal and postnatal mental
health services
Around 40% of the whole of the UK’s
services have no specialist perinatal
mental health provision. 122 Regarding
access, 40% of women in both Scotland
and England have no access to specialist
perinatal support, with this figure being
much higher for Wales and Northern
Ireland, at 70% and 80% respectively. 123
(see Figures 2.1a and 2.1b provided by the
Maternal Mental Health Alliance). 124
• There are only 17 specialist mother
and baby units in the UK. None of
these are located in Northern Ireland
or Wales. 125
Red areas
No specialist team exists.
Pink areas
Some extremely basic
level of provision exists
but currently falls short
of national standards and
needs expanding.
Amber areas
Some basic level of
provision exists but
currently falls short of
national standards and
needs expanding.
Green areas
Women and families can
access treatment that meets
nationally agreed standards.
Figure 2.1a: UK specialist community perinatal mental health teams (current provision)
Everyone’s Business. (2014). UK specialist community perinatal mental health terms (current provision). Retrieved from
everyonesbusiness.org.uk/?page_id=349 [Accessed 19/07/16].
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