Research: 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 partnerships with
  • the UK’s leading charity to support individuals affected by perinatal mental illness, PANDAS Foundation
  • the Maternal Mental Health Alliance (MMHA), a UK-wide charity and network of 130 member organisations, parents, and clinicians dedicated to ensuring all women and families impacted by perinatal mental health problems have access to high-quality, compassionate care and support
• publishing a human resources 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. The research findings and GMP’s resources are also being used and adapted by employers in other industries including healthcare, social housing and early years education.