All posts by Andrea

17 December 2013

Call for partners & husbands to get involved!

FamilyHere at Action on Postpartum Psychosis (APP), we have been working towards developing online resources and an information leaflet for the partners of mums who have suffered Postpartum Psychosis, offering information and support for them during an episode of PP.

Over 80 partners of APP members have completed a postal survey and 12 men have taken part in telephone interviews about their support needs during PP - thank you! Last year we held a small focus group with partners to develop an outline for our web resources and we have now produced draft web and leaflet content.

In March 2014, we are planning to hold a workshop for partners.  We are looking for partners who want to help us finalise our resources. We need partners to review and comment on the web and leaflet content, their design and presentation and ways that they can be promoted. We would also like partners to help us create a short videos aimed at other men in a similar situation, and photos / images to go alongside the web and leaflet materials.

The workshop will be a day session and is likely to be held on a Saturday at the University of Birmingham. Food will be provided and all transport expenses will be refunded. We hope it will be a great opportunity for partners to meet other partners who have been through similar experiences, and help us make the situation better for others in the future.

If you are a partner and you might be willing to consider coming along to this workshop or would like to use your IT, marketing or artistic skills to help us in any other way, please get in touch. It’s not a commitment at this stage, we aim to find out how many people might be interested in our workshop.

Email: app@app-network.org

9 December 2013

APP’s Chair wins prestigious psychiatric research prize

Ian Jones AwardAPP’s Chair, Professor Ian Jones of the National Centre for Mental Health at Cardiff University, has won a major prize at the fifth annual Royal College of Psychiatrists Awards.

Professor Jones, who is Deputy Director of the research centre and an Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist in Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, was awarded the Psychiatric Academic / Researcher of the Year prize at a ceremony held at The Royal Society of Medicine in London.

The awards mark the highest level of achievement within psychiatry, and are designed to recognise and reward excellent practice in the field of mental health. (more…)

4 December 2013

Development of an inpatient care questionnaire; Can you help?

Kings College LondonKings College London is trialing a questionnaire assessing the perceptions of perinatal mental health services developed in collaboration with those who have used their services. The study: Improving the therapeutic environment on inpatient wards, requires patient contributions to the evidence base on inpatient care.

They require people to complete the survey and give feedback to enable them to fine-tune it before it is used in an upcoming nationwide trial investigating such services. Taking part will help develop an important tool that will be used to improve the care women receive in the future.

Can you help? It should only take 10 minutes and all results are anonymous.

If you are happy to complete an additional survey after 5-10 days’ time,  please enter your phone number at the end of the survey. After completing both surveys, you will be entered into a prize draw for a £100 Love to Shop voucher as a thank you.

Please read the Patient information sheet here»

Once you have read the patient information sheet, click here to complete the survey»

28 November 2013

Research study: The role of relationships in PP

Lancaster University

UPDATE: Recruitment of participants for this study is now closed. Thank you to everyone who kindly took part. We look forward to seeing the findings.

The role of relationships in Postpartum Psychosis (unusual experiences during the postpartum period)

  • Have you been given a diagnosis of Postpartum Psychosis (puerperal psychosis)? 
  • Would you be willing to talk about your relationships with important people in your life in relation to these experiences? 

I am a trainee clinical psychologist at Lancaster University and I am currently carrying out research into the experiences of women who have lived through a period of mental distress after childbirth, and their significant others. I want to learn about the role of relationships during and after this experience. I hope that my findings will help staff in Mother-and-Baby units to work with the families and friends of women and continue to improve the services that women receive.

I would like to talk to women who have experienced Postpartum Psychosis and someone important to them (you can choose who this is – perhaps it could be a partner, mother, sibling or friend?) Both of you would need to be 18 years old or over. If you fit the above criteria and are interested in sharing your experiences, please contact me to find out more.

Read the patient information sheet here»

Caroline Wyatt
Tel: 0785 251 6566
Email: c.wyatt@lancaster.ac.uk

26 November 2013

Thank You to Sotheby's!

Sotheby's presenting chequeWe are greatly indebted to Sotheby's, London for throwing itself into fundraising and awareness - raising for APP. In a number of ways the Sotheby's staff worked so very hard to promote and support us this Summer and Autumn.

Thanks are due to Penny Speight and her artistic team for mounting a Staff Summer Exhibition and a highly successful Preview Evening complete with a delicious buffet, fantastic wine, a high standard of artwork, and the most moving of speeches from trustee Nicola Muckelroy. Thanks are also due to Lord Dalmeny and our chair, Professor Ian Jones who both spoke in warm support of our important work and of those women and families who find themselves affected by Postpartum Psychosis. (more…)

13 November 2013

Specialist Mental Health Midwives - what they do & why they matter

Specialist Maternal Mental Health midwivesSpecialist Mental Health Midwives have a crucial role in effective perinatal mental health care. However, there are currently many maternity services without this important position, and where Specialist Mental Health Midwives do exist there are differences in their role, skills and experience.

This document produced by the Maternal Mental Health Alliance aims to help address this gap, by explaining why Specialist Mental Health Midwives are needed, and what they do. It is intended as a resource for maternity managers and commissioners looking to introduce or strengthen the Specialist Mental Health Midwife role in their local service. We hope that it will aid discussions and lead to improvements in local provision.

Read or download the full document here>

19 October 2013

Peer Support Training Workshop 2013

Peer Support Workshop 2013Eight volunteers with lived experience of PP came together from across the UK to attend a Peer Support workshop on 12th Oct. The day was momentous, memorable and a success on many levels. It was a real pleasure to meet and work with so many passionate and dedicated people. Thank you to everyone who gave up their free time and made the big effort to attend. We’re proud and grateful to further expand our PPTalk team with such a wonderful, inspirational group of volunteers! (more…)

16 October 2013

CALL for Evidence & Participation in Reference Group

Maternal Mental Health AllianceFor a study on the economic consequences of maternal mental health problems during the perinatal period conducted by PSSRU/LSE and Centre for Mental Health

As part of the Everyone's Business Campaign, London School of Economics (LSE) and Centre for Mental Health are to publish a report looking at the 'Economic Consequences of Maternal Mental Health Problems in the Perinatal Period'.

As a first step in this work, LSE & Centre for Mental Health have just issued a call for any information in this area, and in particular:

  • National and International studies which measure the outcomes of individuals exposed to perinatal mental health problems - including mothers, children and their partners.
  • Evidence on the (cost-) effectiveness of interventions or information about the cost of running a specific intervention.
  • Information about any other relevant studies that you are aware of.

(more…)

15 October 2013

Birmingham Family Fun Event

Birmingham Purple PartyOn 18th Aug , APP 's Heather Heron and Nic Muckelroy journeyed to Martineau Gardens in Birmingham to attend a special family fun event organised by staff of Birmingham's Mother & Baby Unit (MBU). We are grateful to Giles Berrisford and Clare Hooper for affording us the opportunity to man an APP stall in order to raise awareness of PP. It was a hugely enjoyable day for those families who have benefited from such a great facility as the Birminham MBU and for those friends who continue to support it. If you have not been to Martineau gardens : go ! It is a wonderfully quirky little place for children and families.

Sotheby's Staff Summer Exhibition

On 25th July, Sotheby's organised a Staff Summer Exhibition in London. APP was the chosen charity and a great preview evening was enjoyed by a huge throng of invited guests, including APP trustees. We are greatly indebted to the team at Sotheby's including all of the artists and those who produced the impressive catalogue. It was humbling to see Sotheby's staff working so hard on our behalf, both on the special preview night and prior to it.  Informative and moving speeches were delivered by Nic Muckelroy and Prof. Ian Jones and the feedback from all involved was really positive.

We will report soon on the final amount raised at this event.