Suicide is the leading cause of maternal deaths in the UK, with rates of maternal suicide the highest among new mums residing in the most deprived areas.
RCPsych have analysed data in a recent report by the Maternal, Newborn and Infant Clinical Outcome Review Programme (MBRRACE-UK). From this, we have identified that of these maternal suicides, one in three (30.68%) occurred in the most deprived communities in the UK and Ireland between 2021-2023, compared to just over one in eight (13.64%) in the least deprived.
Vulnerable mums in the most deprived communities are more likely to experience financial insecurity, isolation and abuse, putting barriers in the way of accessing vital, life-saving mental health care.
A lack of coordination between perinatal, mental health and maternal mental health services during, and after, pregnancy also means that some women, with known mental health conditions, are not accessing expert perinatal mental health care that is available to them.
As part of Mental Health Awareness Week, RCPsych is calling for perinatal psychiatrists to be at the forefront of treating new and expectant mothers. This will mean specialist perinatal psychiatric staff can liaise with, and train, colleagues within the wider maternal health network, so that perinatal mental illness can be prevented, is detected sooner and can be treated more effectively. This will save lives.
To achieve this, the UK Government needs to invest in identifying and treating new and expectant mums with mental health conditions. In England, Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) would need to ensure that funding is used to position perinatal psychiatrists at the centre of services, enabling them to treat all mothers and pregnant people who need it.
Dr Livia Martucci, Chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ Faculty of Perinatal Psychiatry, said:
“Sadly, we know postnatal depression affects tens of thousands of new mothers every year in England; this only gets worse if left untreated with potentially fatal consequences.
“Mental illnesses in the first year after giving birth can develop rapidly - within hours, days or weeks after birth. Mothers and their partners are often unaware of the existence of these mental illnesses, and the associated risks. More must be done to raise awareness, especially around potential impact on mothers, babies and families.
“It is absolutely vital that all new and expectant mothers, throughout all communities, have access to specialist perinatal mental health care if they need it. For example, women who develop postpartum psychosis often need to be cared for in hospital and it’s crucial they receive this support as quickly as possible so that they can make a full recovery.
“Yet, the system is under huge strain. Ongoing shortages of expert perinatal mental health staff and uncoordinated care pathways mean patients are not getting the expert mental health support they desperately need. This is hitting deprived communities especially hard, where women are already more likely to experience mental ill-health, substance misuse and domestic abuse.
“Early, and continued, intervention can prove lifesaving.”
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