Reviewed on : 15 Jul 2024

Reviewed by : Dr Lucy Blunt & Caroline Button CWPT

Expires : 15 Jul 2026

Perinatal Mental Healthcare

See also GP Gateway page:  Miscarriage & Recurrent Miscarriage & Perinatal Loss Pathway

Available across Coventry and Warwickshire.

Referrals are from health professionals only via referral form.

The perinatal team will consider patients who have these issues beginning perinatally (ie in pregnancy or first TWELVE postnatal months) :

• Severe bonding issues / mother-infant attachment issues
• Severe depressive illness
• Feels depressed or low in mood
• Occasional suicidal thoughts –but no real plans
• Mood swings
• Family history of bipolar disorder
• Moderate to severe anxiety based disorders
• Obsessive compulsive symptoms
• Anxiety/panic attacks
• Fears she may harm baby (no intent)
• Tokophobia (fear of childbirth)
• Requests for elective c-section with no medical indication
• Mental illness impacting on medical care such as needle phobia
• Labour or postnatal related post-traumatic symptoms
• Complicated/unusual response to stillbirth or neonatal loss
• Difficulty adjusting to a medically complicated pregnancy eg.multiple pregnancy or placenta praevia
• Past postnatal depression requiring hospitalisation
• Past postnatal depression, no hospitalisation
• History of psychosis (may be postnatal or not)
• Preconception history of schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder or severe depressive illness requiring hospitalisation

If psychotic symptoms, strong suicidal thoughts or plans, hostile thoughts about baby with intent to harm at any stage of pregnancy or up to 12 months postnatally contact the Crisis Team

Referrals

See referral form on right

Follow click for Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Score

Follow click for Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale

Whooley Questions:

1. 1. During the last month, have you often been bothered by feeling down, depressed or hopeless? (YES/NO)
2. 2. During the last month, have you often been bothered by little interest or pleasure in doing thing? (YES/NO

YES to one or both questions is take as a positive screen for depression

Follow click for GAD Scale

Perinatal Mental Health Team Contact details

Perinatal Mental Health Service Team

Willenhall Health Centre Remembrance Road Coventry CV3 3DG

Email: PMHT@covwarkpt.nhs.uk

Julia Patterson, Perinatal Mental Health Service Team Manager

Email: Julia.patterson@covwarkpt.nhs.uk

Tel: 024 76212176

Useful Referral Information

• Take a detailed history from the patient
• Make a provisional diagnosis
• Consider all available management options in terms of support
• Consider starting medication first
• Assess severity of the problem
• Be clear about what we are expecting from making a secondary care referral

Perinatal Mental Health Pathways for Coventry & Warwickshire

Coventry Pathway

Click on image to view document

Warwickshire Pathway

Click on image to view document

Additional Sources of Local Support

Click on image to view web page and links

Prescribing Support

UKTIS UK Teratology Information Service www.uktis.org

BUMPS Best Use of Medicines in Pregnancy                    Service www.medicinesinpregnancy.org

UKDILAS Drugs In Lactation Advisory Service www.sps.nhs.uk/articles/ukdilas

Parental Support

If you’re not sure whether therapy could help, what type of therapy you need, or how to find a safe and effective counsellor or psychotherapist, we’ll help you find the information you need.

Mamma Mia is a FREE online self-help support tool for pregnant women in Coventry and Warwickshire

We have developed a Parenting in Mind Programme, within which there are a number of innovative and creative solutions to identify and meet the challenges families are facing.  The solutions are mindful of enabling families to develop and improve their own lives.  The support we provide is based on the needs identified by families.

Parents in Mind offers emotional support for women who are experiencing low mood, anxiety or poor mental health during pregnancy or within the first two years of birth.

Confidential text service for advice and support

IAPT services are for people with mild, moderate and moderate to severe symptoms of anxiety or depression living in Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire.

National Online Support

    PANDAS www.pandasfoundation.org.uk

Helping parents affected by PeriNatal Mental Illness

PNMI LEAP www.leaplambeth.org.uk

Helping babies, young children and carers in Covid-19

LULLABY TRUST www.lullabytrust.org.uk

Safe sleep advice and support for parents who has lost babies to SIDS

SANDS www.sands.org.uk

Supports anyone affected by the death of a baby

MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH ALLIANCE www.maternalmentalhealthalliance.org

Hosting online self care and support resources

 BREAST FEEDING SUPPORT NETWORK                    www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk

Breastfeeding support during Covid-19

ICON COPE www.iconcope.org

Support for parents and professionals with crying babies