Seasons Greetings and a Happy New Year from all of us at APP

A message from APP's Chief Executive, Dr Jessica Heron:

"As 2022 draws to a close, I would like to thank all in our community for their support this year. In what has been a tough year for the nation’s mental health, it has been heartening to see our community pull together. Our fundraisers - which have included health professional teams, volunteers, those we support, as well as families who have lost someone to postpartum psychosis (PP) - have raised almost £65,000 to support our work.

With the help of our volunteers, we provided 1:1 peer support to 235. An average of 234 used our peer support forum each month. We set up new café groups in Scotland and Northern Ireland and worked with volunteers and Third Sector partners to campaign for a Mother and Baby Unit (MBU) for NI.

Our five NHS partnership projects provided peer support to more than 270 women and families early in their recovery journey. We extended our diverse communities outreach project with Zebunisa, Ramlah and Shaheda reaching out to Black, Asian and minority ethnic community groups with information about PP. As in previous years, 100% of peer support survey respondents felt less isolated and more supported, and 30% felt the service has saved their life.

2022 was also the year in which we: welcomed our newest Ambassador, author and literary agent, Catherine Cho; placed 30 national media pieces about PP; supported 42 research projects including studies of menopause, and a drug discovery study; launched our campaign for information about PP to be included in antenatal class education; and provided more health professional training through our one-day workshops and lived experiences speakers. Dates of our training workshops for 2023 will be released soon – email us to be the first to know and take advantage of our early bird rates: training@app-network.org 

Our founding mission in 2011 was to reduce maternal suicides caused by PP, reduce the negative impacts of PP and improve outcomes. This year, the Confidential Enquiry into Maternal Deaths found that despite increases in rates overall, postpartum psychosis now accounts for far fewer maternal deaths than in previous decades. APP’s survey into care also shows that women feel more satisfied with care, feel safer, with better informed health professionals, than in the previous decade.

I would like to thank all our staff, volunteers, trustees, donors and fundraisers for their hard work and continued support. The lifesaving services we provide are because of your hard work and generosity - your support means so much to us.

The climate for charities is increasingly difficult. We understand that not everyone can support us with donations, but if you are able to give, it will make a real difference to our work: https://bit.ly/SupportAPPThisChristmas

For some women and families, Christmas and New Year can be a difficult time, particularly for those with loved ones spending Christmas in an MBU or struggling with recovery. You are not on our own – APP’s peer supporters are available every day of the year via our Forum

Wishing you and your loved ones a happy festive period”.