Mental health in the United Kingdom
Agnes Hann of the National Childbirth Trust said, "These findings are shocking, and mean that thousands of women experiencing potentially serious perinatal mental health problems are not getting the support they need. Perinatal mental illness can have a severe and long-term impact on mothers, babies and families. In extreme circumstances, it can result in tragedy – suicide is a leading cause of maternal death." From roughly 10% to 20% of women giving birth experience some type of mental illness such as anxiety and depression or more complex problems like PTSD and psychosis. With about 665,000 births a year in England 66,500–133,000 women a year develop illnesses. In 2016, 13,000 women were treated by perinatal teams while 800 became inpatients. This means the majority were untreated.
Miscarriage and grief
Miscarriage has been found to be a traumatic event and a major loss for women. Pregnancy loss, including induced abortion is a risk factor for mental illness. The impact of miscarriage can be underestimated. The trauma can be compounded if the miscarriage was accompanied by visible and relatively large amounts of blood loss.
The trauma of miscarriage can be compounded if the miscarriage was accompanied by visible and relatively large amounts of blood loss.
Bipolar disorders are associated with miscarriage. Depression and bilpolar disorder becomes evident after a miscarriage in 43% of women. Some women are more likely to experience complicated and prolonged grief than others.