Explaining perinatal mental health to your patients:
Resources for GPs, Obstetricians and Midwives
Welcome to your resource page.
When assessing and explaining perinatal mental health to your patients, you might find these resources helpful.
The biopsycholosocial model is best practice for explaining antenatal and postnatal depression and anxiety. The model helps patients to see that it is not their fault. New mothers can be self-blaming and riddled with guilt. The biopsychosocial model explains that many things contribute to perinatal mental health disturbance.
The pink circles
1. Genetic or biological vulnerability (as evidenced in the patient's own psychiatric history or family history), or a person's 'wiring',
in combination with
2. a person's sensitivity to hormonal change, which is different in different people, and there is dramatic hormonal change in the perinatal period,
together with
3. a person's psychological vulnerability (e.g., high expectations/ perfectionism, interpersonal sensitivity, sensitivity to noise, change, poor coping skills, etc).
added to
Life stress
Stressors related to fertility struggles, pregnancy, birth, previous losses, postnatal difficulties, baby challenges, and other life stressors
can bring about
depression, anxiety or stress in pregnancy or the postnatal period.
Social support
Good social support (family, friends) can help to buffer the impact of these factors, reducing their impact on psychological outcomes. Where there is no support, or unhelpful/interfering/critical 'support', this can be a further stressor.
The pink circles
1. Genetic or biological vulnerability (as evidenced in the patient's own psychiatric history or family history), or a person's 'wiring',
in combination with
2. a person's sensitivity to hormonal change, which is different in different people, and there is dramatic hormonal change in the perinatal period,
together with
3. a person's psychological vulnerability (e.g., high expectations/ perfectionism, interpersonal sensitivity, sensitivity to noise, change, poor coping skills, etc).
added to
Life stress
Stressors related to fertility struggles, pregnancy, birth, previous losses, postnatal difficulties, baby challenges, and other life stressors
can bring about
depression, anxiety or stress in pregnancy or the postnatal period.
Social support
Good social support (family, friends) can help to buffer the impact of these factors, reducing their impact on psychological outcomes. Where there is no support, or unhelpful/interfering/critical 'support', this can be a further stressor.
The media has reported on "a pill for postnatal depression". If your patients are asking about this, here is a summary of what we know.
Download practitioner lists
For an updated list of our perinatal psychologists please click on the Antenatal & Postnatal Psychology Network logo below.
We work in association with the Perinatal Psychiatry Network. Click on this logo to be taken to the page of our psychiatrist colleagues.
For a list of psychologists who work in the Littlies Clinic, click on this logo below.
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Fact sheets from Centre of Perinatal Excellence (COPE)
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