Mental Health Conditions

Mental health conditions, which include depression, anxiety, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, are common among women and men prior to or during pregnancy, as well as in the postnatal period. It’s estimated that approximately 18% of parents will have a preconception common mental disorder (e.g. depression and anxiety) in adolescence and young adulthood (Spry et al. 2020). Furthermore, the prevalence of psychotic disorders and bipolar disorder is estimated to be around 0.4% and 2.8%, respectively, among women in the year prior to pregnancy (Jones et al. 2014; Vesga-Lopez et al. 2008). Women may be especially vulnerable in terms of their reproductive health and often experience stigma from healthcare professionals towards their desire for motherhood (Dolman et al. 2013; 2016). They are more likely have additional needs, such as pre-existing health risks, including increased rates of smoking and obesity, and social care vulnerabilities including domestic abuse, homelessness and child removal (Frieder 2010; McCracken et al. 2017). In the short term, these can adversely impact on fertility and pregnancy and have long-term implications for maternal and child health and wellbeing (Stein et al. 2014). Ensuring access to ethical preconception care, which incorporates and promotes positive mental health, is therefore particularly important to helping women achieve their desired fertility.