According to recent data published by NHS England, over 57,000 new and expectant mothers received help for mental health challenges between March 2023 and February 2024. This is a notable increase from the 43,053 supported the year prior.
With approximately 600,000 births in the UK annually, these latest statistics suggest that as many as 1 in 10 birthing parents may experience emotional challenges during the lead-up to, or the year immediately after, having a baby.
“While welcoming a newborn into the world can be an incredibly joyous experience for birthing parents and partners, the negative thoughts and feelings that can arise during this time often go unspoken,” says Emma Twinley, Senior Perinatal CBT Therapist at Essex Partnership University Foundation NHS Trust (EPUT).
“Sometimes, these emotions are down to the ‘baby blues’ and naturally pass on their own. In other cases, poor perinatal mental health can last for weeks, months or even years, resulting in low mood, anxiety and even post-traumatic stress disorder.”
Perinatal mental health is not just a challenge faced by new and expecting birthing parents. Statistics reveal that up to 15% of partners also experience depression or anxiety on their journey into parenthood.
“Whether a new birthing parent or partner is unsure of their abilities as a parent or is anxious over the health of their baby, difficulties like these can become a barrier to a family’s mental health and affect the bond with their child,” explains Twinley.
Mental health support for new and expectant parents
To help the thousands of parents who face difficulties with their wellbeing, Therapy For You, the mental health service for North East and South East Essex, offers a range of support and treatment pathways for parents in their local community.
Perinatal groups
Supporting birthing parents and partners with their new babies in the postnatal period, Therapy For You is now offering a dedicated perinatal group to help ease the transition into parenthood.
“Like with any major life change, adjusting to the arrival of a baby can be hard – especially when the reality of being a parent doesn’t quite match our original expectations,” says Twinley.
“Designed to support new parents with their babies in the postnatal period up to the age of 2, the groups we offer centre around overcoming challenges during the journey into parenthood. Addressing issues like intense anxiety over a child’s development or unhelpful thinking styles that promote low mood, the group work we do helps improve wellbeing and fosters healthy relationships between child and family.”
Perinatal OCD support
The service also provides OCD support to parents who find it difficult to manage their intrusive thoughts and compulsions in the period after birth.
Perinatal OCD often leads parents to worry that significant harm will come to their baby, whether through accidents or the child becoming ill.
Therapy For You explains that while such worries are normal, some individuals become extremely distressed by these thoughts. As a result, they may engage in obsessive or compulsive behaviours to manage their anxiety or prevent their fears from coming true.
“When we care for a child, it’s natural to worry about their wellbeing and take steps to protect them. But when these thoughts begin to rule our lives, and compel us to obsessively wash our baby’s clothes or keep our child away from others for fear of contamination, for example, this is where our support is designed to help,” adds Twinley.
“Primarily delivered through evidence-based cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT for postnatal depression), our perinatal OCD support works to improve the relationship patients have with their obsessions and compulsions, and equip them with the skills to more effectively manage their symptoms.”
“Eventually,” Twinley says, “by the end of their course of treatment, parents will be confident in their ability to confront their thoughts and better resist unhelpful compulsive behaviours”.
Birth trauma therapy
Recent figures reveal that 5% of birthing parents develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after birth in the UK. With this data in mind, Therapy For You has introduced dedicated support for people who have experienced birth trauma or witnessed these events.
“Our birth trauma therapy is delivered either through trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy (TF-CBT) or eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy,” says Twinley.
“In the case of TF-CBT, we use evidence-based cognitive behavioural techniques to help identify and address unhelpful thoughts and negative behaviours brought on by experiencing or witnessing a traumatic birth. This helps both birthing parents and partners move on from what happened and lead a happier, healthier life.”
“If EMDR is deemed the more appropriate approach for a service user, our qualified therapists support patients on their journey as they access and process the unpleasant memories associated with a difficult birth. This can encourage positive change in how people feel, and allow them to better bond with their child.”
Birth phobia support
“We’re also able to support those who are finding it difficult to manage phobias associated with childbirth,” adds Twinley.
“Whether birthing parents are fearful of childbirth as their due date approaches, or parents experience phobias connected to pregnancy, such as needles, blood and hospitals, we can work with users to get to the root of their phobias, and teach them strategies to reduce how their fears impact their day-to-day life.”
The effectiveness of perinatal mental health support
Support for perinatal mental health services, such as those offered by Therapy For You, reflects a broader commitment outlined in the NHS’s Long Term Plan. By 2024, their goal is to ensure that at least 66,000 women experiencing perinatal mental health difficulties can access wellbeing support in their community.
Backed by a growing body of evidence, data also suggests that these specialist services are more effective than general psychiatric facilities.
On this topic, Twinley adds, “Having a baby is a huge lifestyle change, and can be a source of intense stress, anxiety and emotion for even the most well-prepared families. We are committed to addressing the emotional weight on parents, so they can continue their journey into parenthood feeling focused, supported and positive.”
Emma Twinley is a Senior Perinatal CBT Therapist, currently working at EPUT to deliver support to parents throughout North East Essex.
Therapy For You’s perinatal support is part of the NHS Talking Therapies service, and accessible to new and expecting parents in North East and South East Essex.
About Therapy For You
Therapy For You is the local NHS Talking Therapies provider for Colchester, Tendring, Southend, Castle Point and Rochford, committed to helping people feel better through a range of treatment pathways for anxiety, depression, stress and more, including:
- Omni Online CBT courses
- 1-1 therapy
- ieso typed therapy
- Group therapy
- Video therapy
- Phone therapy
Working in partnership with Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT), Therapy For You remains devoted to breaking down the barriers to mental health access. They have helped 98.6% of its users seek meaningful support and 99.4% to better understand their difficulties through proven treatments and innovative online therapy.
The service provides treatment to individuals aged 18 and above in South East Essex and individuals aged 16 and above in North East Essex who are not currently receiving secondary mental health care or crisis services.
If you would like to find out more about Therapy For You, visit their website or reach out on 01268 739 128 if you live in South East Essex, or 01206 334 001 if you are a resident of North East Essex.
Media Contact
Company Name: Therapy For You
Contact Person: Richard Black
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Country: United Kingdom
Website: https://www.therapyforyou.co.uk/