Public health news: Mental and Maternal Mental Health

March 2023

Mental and Maternal Mental Health

Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week is 1 to 7 May 2023.

Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week is a campaign dedicated to talking about mental health problems before, during and after pregnancy. The week is all about:

• raising public and professional awareness of perinatal mental health problems
• advocating for women and families impacted by it
• changing attitudes
• helping people access the information, care and support they need to recover.

The week is organised and led by the Perinatal Mental Health Partnership UK (PMHP UK), who launched the first-ever UK Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week nearly a decade ago in 2014.

PMHP UK is a small group of individuals, including parents with lived experience and clinicians, who came together to raise awareness of maternal mental health.

Mental Health Awareness Week is also in May, from 15 to 21 May 2023.

Mental Health Awareness Week is an ideal time for us all to think about mental health, tackle stigma, and find out how we can create a society that prevents mental health problems from developing and protects our mental well-being.

Mental Health Awareness Week is organised by the Mental Health Foundation. The theme for 2023 is anxiety.

Anxiety is one of the most common mental health problems we can face.

Lots of things in our lives can lead to feelings of anxiety, such as exam pressures, relationships, starting a new job (or losing one) or other big life events like moving house, getting married or having children. We can also get anxious when it comes to things to do with money and not being able to meet our basic needs, like heating our home or buying food.

The good news is that there are lots of ways to help us manage our anxiety.

The Better Health Every Mind Matters site has lots of advice, tips and tools to help manage your mental wellbeing including a mind plan tool to with tips to deal with stress and anxiety, boost your mood, sleep better and feel more in control.

South Tyneside Lifecycle Primary Care Mental Health Service offers a free and confidential NHS service for people aged 16 and over who are registered with a GP in South Tyneside. They provide a range of psychological therapies to help you feel better if you're feeling anxious, depressed, stressed or worried. These therapies include:

• Information & Support
• Classes & Courses
• Group Therapy
• One-to-one Therapy

Qwell is an anonymous site which helps people to feel safe and confident in exploring their concerns and seeking professional support. The online chat functionality allows you to receive professional support through booked or drop-in sessions as and when you need it. The messaging feature allows you to reach out directly to a professional. They also offer a suite of therapeutic and personal development tools to help with goal setting and tracking your mood.

The most important thing to remember is that you're not alone!