Since we launched our #HiddenHalf campaign in July, aimed at getting postnatal mental illness out of hiding, nearly 6,000 people have signed up as supporters and more than 500 have written to their MP calling for action.
The #HiddenHalf campaign is calling for better postnatal check-ups so that all new mothers experiencing mental health problems can get the help they need.
We recently released new UK-wide research showing that only half of new mothers’ mental health problems get picked up.
We need 1,000 people to email their MP to send a signal to politicians that people care about this issue. So far, 500 people have sent an email using our quick online form. We’re asking you to join them.
It received widespread coverage in the press, including articles in The Sun, The Daily Mail, The Telegraph, The Mirror, Buzzfeed, Mother and Baby, as well as on TV and radio.
The six-week postnatal check is the ideal opportunity for doctors to diagnose mental health problems, but mothers are slipping through the net.
Our research found that the six-week check is often rushed, with a third of women getting only three minutes.
Others describe how the check was just a “tick-box” exercise, with a fifth not being asked about emotional wellbeing at all.
We are pressing for better funding and guidance for the six-week check to make it more effective at picking up emotional problems.
These changes will help to ensure that new mothers’ mental health problems are identified as early as possible so that they can get the support and treatment they need.
To support the campaign to help us get postnatal mental illness out of hiding, click here
To email your MP to press for change, click here
To watch our film about the new #HiddenHalf campaign, click here
