Highlighted Projects, Campaigns, and Reports:

The Interdisciplinary Perinatal Mental Health Group (The IPMHG) has many active members working in perinatal mental health. Here you will find some highlights of current, upcoming, and IPMHG student projects.

World First: National Rate of Paternal Suicide In First 1001 Days (Pregnancy Up to Two)

Suicide is a devastating loss. Losing a parent during the perinatal period, or first 1001 days (pregnancy up to two years) has tremendous impacts on the child and their family. In the U.K maternal suicide remains a leading cause of mortality in the perinatal period. This rate of suicide however excludes fathers - as fathering is not systematically linked to men's health record which impacts national reporting, screening and intervention for paternal mental health. 

Until now this lack of linking fathering to the health record has been a barrier in perinatal mental health research and practice. The IPMHG are proud on World Suicide Prevention Day to report that a project with the Chair of the IPMHG, Dr. Kate Ellis-Davies, Prof. Ann John (Director of the National Centre for Suicide Prevention and Self-Harm), and Dr. Kim Dienes (Director of the Swansea University Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Research Institute) were awarded funding by the newly launched 1001 Critical Days Foundation to utilise the world leading SAIL data in Wales, U.K to create a national rate of paternal suicide in the first 1001 Critical Days. 

We report that the rate of paternal suicide in the 1001 critical days is 12.4 per 100,000, for first time fathers this rate is 15.7 per 100,000. The rate of suicide doubles for fathers living in areas of deprivation. 

This first for a national rate of paternal suicide in the 1001 critical days is a call for action for linking fathering to men's health records, for screening of paternal mental health, and for support for fathers and their families at this major life transition. 

Dr. Jane Hanley

Parental Wellbeing In Zimbabwe During The Covid-19 Pandemic

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Current and Upcoming Projects

Upcoming and ongoing projects by members of The Interdisciplinary Perinatal Mental Health Group (IPMHG) are lead by a range of professionals including midwives, health visitors, psychologists, and psychiatrists. These projects currently include the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic for parental mental health internationally, and the role of perinatal information, education and support during this time. Watch this space for reports and highlights from these ongoing projects!

Student Project Highlights

Intolerance of Uncertainty and Perinatal Mental Health

Students IPMHG members this year are researching the role of intolerance of uncertainty and perinatal mental health