Perinatal Mental Health- MHASE Conference (video)

This workshop will explore a woman’s journey in pregnancy suffering psychosis prior and after the birth. We will explore the impacts ambulance staff and AHP can make on supporting woman in these situations, how we can improve outcomes and how we can refer appropriately. A real-life story and the voice of lived experience will be used to strengthen the workshop. The aim to develop a greater understanding of the impact on woman and families who have experienced mental ill health during the perinatal and postpartum period, and how ambulance staff/AHP can influence care for these women.

About Helen

Helen McAdam is a nurse and midwife of 25 years' experience in both acute settings and community, in the UK and around the world. She is currently a Senior Lecturer in Midwifery at the University of Sunderland. Helen’s dissertation in 2004 explored the impact of support mechanisms on the prevalence of postnatal depression. Since then, she has had an interest in mental health within maternity, along with many other areas that can affect a woman’s mental health in the gestational continuum, so much so that mental health of woman and midwives have been embedded into the degree programme to improve skills of the immerging midwives. She also worked for NEAS for over 4 years (2018-2022) as a clinical educator/subject matter expert, contributing to the JRCALC guidelines for care of the newborn and NLS, as well as developing teaching packages in maternity care for NEAS and GNAAS.