Perinatal mental health and employment

• 2018 – ongoing

This agenda aims to raise awareness around perinatal (pregnancy and post-birth) mental health in the workplace; identify workplace issues that can exacerbate illness and/or aid recovery; and create resources for employers.

Perinatal mental illness includes a range of different diagnoses including depression, anxiety, psychosis and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 

Around one in five women experience a mental health issue in pregnancy and post-birth.  Men, non-birthing partners, and adopting parents can also experience mental illness in the perinatal period.

There is often silence and a lot of stigma concerning perinatal mental illness. Many people do not recognise that they are suffering with a mental illness and/or are reluctant to reach out for help.

Perinatal mental health has largely been overlooked in work and employment scholarship and also in the workplace.

Work so far has included:

• a transdisciplinary literature review
• a call for action from stakeholders
• establishing a partnership with the UK’s leading charity to support individuals affected by perinatal mental illness, PANDAS Foundation
• publishing a HR toolkit
• a partnership with The Open University to conduct empirical research in the context of UK policing. Data collection involved biographical narrative interviews and a focus group with stakeholders
• organising the Perinatal Mental Health in Policing Conference

We are currently working with Greater Manchester Police’s Association of Women in Policing to develop and trial a range of policy and practice interventions, including a new supervisor toolkit, and revisions to broader policies and the maternity risk assessment.