Expectant mums and those with children under two were neglected during the pandemic, finds recent analysis, resulting in record mental health referrals in 2021.
Tens of thousands of new mothers during the pandemic have been left feeling “isolated” and “hopeless”, resulting in record numbers of new mothers requesting mental health support from the NHS.
Analysis from The Independent reveals that requests for help from new, expectant and bereaved mothers increased by 40 per cent from 2019 to 2021. Mental health referrals for new, expectant and bereaved mothers in 2021 was 21 per cent higher than in 2020, increasing from a monthly average of 17,226 to 21,990. Monthly referrals reached a record high of 23,673 in November 2021.
The increasing requests of new mothers for mental health support comes at a time when the NHS has failed to meet its 2020-2021 targets for its perinatal mental health services. Perinatal mental health services provide care to mothers suffering from mental health difficulties prior to birth and up to 24 months after birth. According to provisional data, 40,000 women have accessed perinatal services against a target of 57,000, from the period January to December 2021.
The increase in new mothers requesting mental health support has raised concerns about the impact of the pandemic on mothers and indicates that their welfare and that of their children has been overlooked. Many mothers lost much of the mental health support available to them due to the pandemic.
Concern about the mental health of new mothers mirrors the pandemic's negative impact on mental health across all sectors of the population, with many recognising that the pandemic and successive lockdowns have particularly affected children. Analysis by the Royal College of Psychiatrists found that between April and October 2021 alone, 409,347 under-18s were referred to the NHS in England for specialist mental health care for issues, such as suicidal thoughts and self-harm.
The Independent spoke to Leanne, a mother who given birth just before the pandemic. Due to visiting restrictions around the pandemic, Leanne had to choose between not being admitted to hospital and not getting appropriate help – or getting help but not seeing her child for months.
Leanne spoke about how she struggled with her mental health during the first Covid-19 lockdown and about the impact of losing support systems: "I just thought, oh God, my recovery is going to stop, how am I going to get better now because I’ve got no support? I’m on my own with it.”
She went on to explain: “I was [also] anticipating the lockdown, in addition to the nursery closing, and I was getting quite anxious about that, and feeling quite hopeless. The pressure piled on me was enormous, and I had no one who could see me or support me.”
Dr Joanne Black, the lead of perinatal mental health services for the Royal College of Psychiatrists, echoed concerns and worries about new, expectant and bereaved mothers’ mental health. She said that many pregnant women, or women with children under two years of age, had not been given due attention or care during the pandemic.
West Sussex Mind offers specialist support for families with young children in Worthing, Littlehampton, Adur and Bognor. For more information, visit their website.
If you are struggling with how you are feeling, find sources of local support on this website.
