University of Birmingham

Academic Institute

Rebecca Taylor - Chief Investigator - University of BirminghamJamie-Rae Tanner - Corresponding Applicant - St Helens & Knowsley NHS TrustEleanor JONES - Collaborator - University of BirminghamLauren Carson - Collaborator - University of Birmingham

CPRD244

The study aims to investigate the rate of mental health problems up to five years after birth. This will inform investment of £365 million in perinatal mental health as part of the Five year Forward View for Mental Health. The study will also determine whether there has been a change in the rate of mental health conditions in pregnancy over time and investigate factors associated with mental health problems in pregnancy and up to five years after giving birth.

This is a retrospective cohort study of women's post-partum mental health diagnoses using CPRD pregnancy register data and GP practice READ codes for mental health problems in the 5 years after birth. This will be identified through either a prescription for medications associated with mental health diagnoses identified, and/or a diagnosis of a mental health condition within the pregnant and 5 year post-partum period. The list of included codes were created in conjunction with academic clinicians and secondary care physicians who are specialists in perinatal mental health disorders. This will allow us to inform the debate about if a newly proposed two year postpartum ‘cut-off’ for access to Perinatal Mental Health (PMH) services is sufficient.

07/05/2021

Release