Engagement workshops about inequalities in, and under-identification of, common mental disorders in the perinatal period

NICE guidance lays out how healthcare professionals should identify common mental disorders (anxiety and depression, CMD) during and after pregnancy (the perinatal period). The broader literature reflects the findings from our investigations in Bradford as part of our ongoing MRC-funded Mental Health Data Pathfinder project, in that the strategy as implemented in GP, health visitor and midwifery services under-identifies CMD and is likely inequitable. This means that CMDs in, for example, non-English speakers and the socially vulnerable, are less likely to be identified. Accurate and equitable identification of CMD will facilitate treatment needs planning. PPI work in Bradford has prioritised remediation of inequalities, but the problem is highly complex. In-depth multi-site investigations are needed in order to develop generalisable strategies for improvement. Service interventions may need to be developed to remediate inequalities.

This project will conduct national workshops to engage researchers, commissioners and service leads in order to identify research partner sites for collaborative large scale grant capture to tackle inequitable perinatal CMD identification.