Peri-natal mental health

The Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Service (PMHS) supports women experiencing mental health difficulties during pregnancy and the first year post-birth. They also work with caregivers and their infants where there are concerns about the infants mental health and the infant-caregiver relationship, up until the infants third birthday. This service includes a multidisciplinary team with specialist training to address the psychological and emotional needs of women, infants and their families during the perinatal period.

1. Perinatal Mental Health Team
   • Team Members: Senior Perinatal Mental Health Nurse, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Specialist Perinatal Occupational Therapist(OT referrals are via the PIMH Team)
   • Support Offered: Assessment and evidence-based interventions for moderate to severe mental health difficulties.
2. Maternity and Neonatal Psychological Interventions (MNPI)
   • Team Members: Clinical Psychologists.
   • Support Offered: Assessment and interventions for emotional adjustment related to pregnancy, birth, neonatal care, and pregnancy/baby loss.
3. Wee Minds Matter – Infant Mental Health Team
   • Team Members: Clinical Psychologist, Paediatric Occupational Therapist, Assistant Psychologist.
   • Support Offered: Enhancing the parent-infant relationship from birth to the infant's third birthday.

Perinatal Mental Health Team

• Moderate to severe mental health issues (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, severe depression/anxiety, PTSD, postpartum psychosis).
• High risk of developing severe mental health disorders.
• Current significant impact on functioning or persistent high levels of distress.

Refer to the local CMHNT via Sci Gateway...Locality name... General Psychiatry (Mental Illness)...DG-HN CMHT or the team's generic email.

Joint assessments within CMHNT clinics; Nurse Led Assessments within 6 weeks.

Maternity and Neonatal Psychological Interventions (MNPI)

• Emotional adjustment related to pregnancy, birth, neonatal care, and pregnancy/baby loss.
• Adjustment to maternal and fetal medical complications during pregnancy, birth trauma, neonatal care, pregnancy/baby loss, Tokophobia, or complicated emotional adjustment.

Refer via SCI Gateway...Mountainhall...Clinical Psychology...Psychology and choose Adult mental health option or the generic email.

Assessment offered within 6 weeks.

Wee Minds Matter

• Infants under 3 with significant emotional/behavioral difficulties
• Where there are concerns about the infant-caregiver relationship.

Refer via SCI Gateway...Mountainhall...Clinical Psychology...Psychology and choose Infant Mental Health option or the generic email.

• Training and Reflective Practice:
  • In-person, online, or recorded training for staff.
  • Bi-monthly reflective sessions as part of the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Service.
• Advice and Consultation:
  • Offered on a range of perinatal and infant mental health topics. Contact via the generic email to arrange.

• Generic Email: perinatalmhs@nhs.scot; dg.infantmentalhealth@nhs.scot
• Perinatal Professional Advice Line: Thursday 9am-10am, 01387 246 246

For guidance or to discuss potential referrals, GPs and health professionals can contact the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Service using the provided email or advice line.

This structured approach ensures a seamless, flexible, and responsive care pathway for women experiencing mental health difficulties during the perinatal period, fostering early identification and intervention to support the wellbeing of mothers. Whilst also recognizing the impact an infants experiences and relationships have on their mental health and working with them and their caregivers to support their wellbeing and the infant-caregiver relationship.