Sunderland mental health project aims to tackle the rising suicide rates in young mums
The project aims to break down stigma and give a better experience of being a new mum.
A North East charity tells us about their new mental health project in Sunderland which aims to tackle the rising suicide rates in young mums.
Newcastle-based Ways to Wellness is working with the Maternal Mental Health Alliance and Sunderland Counselling Service on the scheme.
They say it will see a social prescribing "link worker" provide emotional and practical support to new mums.
It is following a report by the MBBRACE in 2023, which looks into the health of mothers and babies after births, and found an increase in young mum suicide rates.
Ang Broadbridge, Head of Implementation at Ways to Wellness, said: "This work in Sunderland is really exciting. It builds out of our award-winning maternal mental health prototypes and really aims to test that model with this priority group of younger mums in Sunderland.
"A recent report, the Embrace report last year, highlights an increase in teenage maternal suicide. We know that young mums particularly are more likely to experience post-natal depression than those over the age of 25.
"Mums have said that they really want to feel listened to, they want their concerns to be taken seriously and ultimately, they want to feel valued as a parent. For young mums particularly, there's a real experience of stigma there.
"It gives them that opportunity to have that person in their life, that “link worker” who can support them on that journey. We offer a flexible, often a longer-term support than lots of other services are able to offer.
"The sooner that we can intervene, the better we have an opportunity to support mums. We know that if untreated, perinatal mental health problems can have both significant and long-term effects on families."