Perinatal anxiety affects 15-25% of women. Yet there is limited research on how this is experienced by women, or the best way to treat the condition. NCT has been supporting a research project aiming to improve care for anxiety during pregnancy and after birth.
The MAP Alliance is a research project conducted by City, University of London, University of Stirling and Bangor University, into anxiety during the perinatal period. The perinatal period is defined as pregnancy and the first two years after birth.
Recently, the study team interviewed 60 women about their personal experiences of perinatal anxiety. Here are some of the ways the women told us they tried to manage their anxiety.
“So, I think more than anything, during my pregnancy, it was a lot of overwhelming feelings for me, feelings that I couldn’t… I’m quite used to being in control of a lot of things, so, this was just completely out of my depth, it was something completely new.” Janelle
In the interview women used a variety of words to describe how they experience anxiety.
The women we spoke to during the research talked about having ongoing anxious thoughts, particularly when they were alone, or late at night. Others mentioned panic attacks, problems sleeping, or a sense of being overwhelmed.
As well as feeling anxious, women also described being down or depressed, feeling traumatised by events in pregnancy or birth, experiencing intrusive thoughts, or having obsessive behaviours.
Only around a half of the parents we interviewed had discussed their anxiety with a health care professional. There were various reasons women why women didn’t diclose their distress.
“I assume that’s what a lot of people feel like, is that they don’t want to self-refer because they feel that somehow their child is going to be at risk of being taken away or anything like that, which is a shame.” Naya
They included:
There are a variety of health care professional that parents can go to and discuss their mental health. Your GP, midwife, or health visitor can help and support you and can make a referral to specialist mental health services if needed.
You can also find out more about NHS talking therapies and details of local charities providing mental health support online.
“I really leant on the friends I made in my antenatal group, they’ve been amazing. And I think having people in the same boat as you, or not necessarily exactly, but we were all going through a rough patch, so having somebody who understood, to talk to, was really helpful.” Ella
Women in the study shared with us numerous support and treatment options that they utilised to overcome their anxiety.
For some self-help options were sufficient, such as:
For others, key to feeling better were:
“The talking therapies team had an online once-a-week session for new mothers and babies, led by two of the therapists. You could speak in a safe place about all the kind of pressures you’re having and all the anxieties you’re having and actually see that your thoughts were quite similar to other people. So, it’s how to overcome them and deal with different situations.” Isla
Technology was embraced by some to support their well-being, such as using mindfulness or relaxation apps, online peer support, or by accessing therapy via video call.
Around half the women we interviewed received formal treatment for their anxiety and related distress such as therapy or medication.
We heard from many women that there is still work to be done to improve how perinatal anxiety is diagnosed and treated, not least the need to include partners in maternity care and mental health support.
The study team are working hard to analyse these women’s experiences and share the lessons learned to improve services for future parents.
We have a range of ways for you to connect with peers in your local area, through an antenatal or postnatal course or through branch events such as Walk & Talks and Bumps and Babies groups. Your health visitor may also know of local groups for parents.
The MAP Alliance study is being conducted by City, University of London, University of Stirling, and Bangor University.
