Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust has launched a perinatal mental health text messaging service – called Mum’s Mind.
The confidential service offers advice and information to support mothers across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland who struggle with mental health issues during pregnancy and baby’s first year.
The service developed by the Trusts’s perinatal mental health team utilises the ChatHealth platform to deliver the service. It provides advice on a range of issues ranging from sleep problems, anxiety management and panic attacks to depression, psychosis, OCD and medication concerns. The service can signpost service users to other support from GPs, midwives and health visitors, psychological therapies, benefits advisers, social care providers and birth reflections.
The perinatal service offers specialist mental health care close to home for mothers referred to them with moderate to severe mental illness, and support and advice for their families.
Donna Stafford, the perinatal team manager, explains: “Every year our team provides support in the community for more than 400 women who experience mental illness during pregnancy and in the months following birth.”
“Our ambition has always been to ensure that women who need access to perinatal mental health support or expertise can access it. And with technology such an integral part of day to day life for so many families today, we hope that the launch of the Mum’s Mind Chathealth text messaging service will be a step change in expanding that access.”
The new service was made possible after LPT secured £460,000 from NHS England last year to double the size of the perinatal mental health team.
