Mothers’ Views of Mental Health Support

We are seeking the views of women who have given birth in the last 18 months on the support they were offered during pregnancy and since the birth with respect to their mental health.

About the research

The time before and after the birth of a child is recognised as providing increased risk of poor mental health in women. The Evaluation of Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Services involves two surveys, one for healthcare staff, and one for recent mothers and some in-depth interviews.

This page is for the survey of Mothers’ Views of Mental Health Support.

Click here if you have been invited to take part in the survey for healthcare staff.

Click here if you have been invited to take part in the follow-up interviews.

The aim of the survey is to provide local and national information on the knowledge and experience of perinatal and infant mental health services from the perspective of those using them or eligible to use them.

The objectives of the study are to:

• provide evidence which will contribute to Public Health Scotland’s wider evaluation of the Scottish Government’s perinatal and infant mental health services expansion
• inform progress towards implementation of recommendations from the ‘Better Mental Health in Scotland: Delivery plan’ (2018) 
• provide NHS Boards with information about women’s experiences in their respective areas
• identify variation between health board areas
• identify variation between mothers with different characteristics
• highlight areas of best practice and areas for improvement

Who is carrying out this research?

The survey is funded by Public Health Scotland, part of NHS Scotland and is being carried out by the Scottish Centre for Social Research.

Why take part?

This is your chance to help improve services for pregnant women, mothers and infants in your local area. The information you provide will help us to look at whether it is easy to access good quality services which provide mental health support in your area.

By completing the survey, you will be letting us know whether recent reforms of perinatal and infant mental health services in each Health Board across Scotland are working. The findings from the evaluation will help shape future service provision in your area.  

What will it involve?

In your invitation letter you were provided with a link to an online survey. Enter this link and enter the unique access code you were given on your letter. The survey itself can be completed on a smartphone, laptop, or any other similar device. It should take no more than 15 minutes to complete.

We will ask you about any mental health support you may have been offered for you or your baby, while pregnant or after your baby was born. Even if you did not need support, we’d still like to know if someone talked to you about your mental health. We will also ask some more general questions about both of you.

Participation is voluntary and choosing not to take part won’t affect your ongoing care. 

What will the data be used for?

This study provides important information about how women have been affected by recent changes in the NHS around services for pregnant women and new mothers. The findings will be used by Public Health Scotland in the Evaluation of Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Services. They will also be used by health professionals and researchers. We will publish the findings in a report in February 2024 which will be free to download. All data are anonymised before being passed on to PHS or used in the report. This means that we will not use any names in the report and no one reading the report will be able to identify you. 

How did you get my name and address?

Public Health Scotland gave your name and address to us along with some background information about you and your child’s father from your child’s birth certificate, such as your ages and whether you were employed or married at the time. They randomly selected 11,500 women from their records of all those who registered a new birth between October 2022 and September 2023. Birth registration records were checked against your health records to ensure your correct address was used. Use of the birth registration and health records for this research study was approved by the Health & Social Care Public Benefit and Privacy Panel of NHS Scotland.

Can I take part if I can’t complete the online survey?

If you need to, you can ask someone to help you complete the survey. This might be a friend, relative or carer - someone you feel comfortable sharing your survey answers with.

What will happen to the information I give?

We will treat your information in the strictest confidence under current data protection legislation. The results are used for research purposes only. Any information you provide before exiting the survey will be retained for analysis. Any personal data will be stored securely. Before we analyse and share the data with Public Health Scotland, information that could directly identify you will be removed. The anonymised data will be provided to Public Health Scotland. It will not be possible to identify anyone who took part in the survey in any reports written.

More information about how the data will be handled is included in the privacy notice. 

Where can I find out more?

If you have any questions about the research, email us at PNIMH@scotcen.org.uk or phone us free on 0800 652 0401. You can also use these details to opt out of receiving any further communication from us.

Where can I find out more about support that may be available to me?

The survey may raise issues for you that you would like advice or support on.

Your GP is often the first point of contact for people living with mental health conditions. They will be able to provide help and advice and can provide access to appropriate specialist services and local organisations. You can also find out about a wide range of services for new parents and for those living with mental health issues by following the links below. 

Parent club offers a wide range of advice, from information about being pregnant, to parenting teenagers. Their family support directory provides contact details for organisations offering support with all aspects of family life, including parenting support, peer support, counselling and bereavement support.

https://www.parentclub.scot/family-support-directory

Inspiring Scotland provides a directory of third sector organisations providing parenting support, peer support, counselling and bereavement support in each area of Scotland to those affected by perinatal or infant mental health issues.

https://www.inspiringscotland.org.uk/perinatal-mental-health-services/

The national organisations listed below may also be able to provide you with an immediate response if you are in distress, or be able to put you in touch with local services.

NHS 24 provides help and advice from a qualified nurse on a wide range of health problems and issues.
Phone: 111 - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week 
www.nhs24.scot  

www.nhsinform.scot  (phone: 0800 22 44 88 (free 9am-5pm Mon-Fri)) also provides information about health and conditions in Scotland.

If you're feeling anxious, stressed, or low - find out how you can improve your mental wellbeing by hearing what others have found helpful by visiting Mind to Mind:
www.nhsinform.scot/mind-to-mind

For practical advice on coping with money worries, visit:

http://www.nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/mental-wellbeing/stress/coping-with-money-worries 

The Samaritans provide a confidential service for people in despair and who feel suicidal.
Free (24 hour) phone line: 116 123 
www.samaritans.org 

Self-Harm Network Scotland is run by Penumbra. If you are worried about self-harm and would like support for either yourself or someone you care about, help, information and advice is available from

www.selfharmnetworkscotland.org.uk

Breathing Space Scotland is a confidential phoneline service for any individual who is experiencing low mood, depression or anxiety and is in need of a listening ear. 
Phone: 0800 83 85 87 – free (6pm-2am Mon-Thurs; 6pm Friday–6am Monday)
www.breathingspace.scot

NHS Living Life provides a free telephone service available to anyone over the age of 16 who is suffering from low mood, mild to moderate depression and/or anxiety.
Phone: 0800 328 9655 (9am-9pm Mon-Fri) 
www.nhs24.scot/our-services/living-life

SANE provides information and support to people who suffer from all forms of mental illness and their friends and families.
Phone: 0300 304 7000 (4-10pm every day)
www.sane.org.uk

Scotland Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline is an information and support service for those affected by domestic abuse and/or forced marriage.
Phone: 0800 027 1234 (free 24 hours)
www.sdafmh.org.uk

Refuge (domestic abuse helpline) provides access to 24-hour emergency refuge accommodation as well as an information service. 
Phone: 0808 2000 247 (free 24 hours)
www.refuge.org.uk

Cruse Bereavement Care Scotland offers help, including a free counselling service, for bereaved people whatever their age, nationality or beliefs. 
Phone: 0808 802 6161 (free 9am-8pm Mon-Fri, 10am-2pm weekends)
www.crusescotland.org.uk

Miscarriage Association provides information and support to anyone affected by miscarriage, molar pregnancy or ectopic pregnancy 
Phone: 01924 200799 (free 9am-4pm Mon, Tues, Thur; 9am-8pm Wed and Fri)
www.miscarriageassociation.org.uk/

SANDS is a helpline and support service for anyone affected by the death of a baby, before, during or shortly after birth.
Phone: 0808 164 3332 (free 10am-3pm Mon-Fri and 6-9pm Tue-Thu)
https://www.sands.org.uk

Tommy’s is a pregnancy charity working to make the UK a safe place to give birth, providing advice on healthy pregnancies and support for those who have lost babies.
https://www.tommys.org/

Held in Our Hearts is a Scottish charity providing baby loss counselling and peer support to families, offering compassionate bereavement care in the community.
Phone: 0131 622 6263
https://heldinourhearts.org.uk/

Child Bereavement UK provides support for families going through bereavement for the loss of a child, or when a child is not expected to live, and support for children going through bereavement.
Phone: 0800 028 8840 (free 9am-5pm Mon-Fri, except bank holidays)
https://www.childbereavementuk.org/

Care for the Family is a Christian charity offering support for families, including those dealing with the loss of a child.
https://www.careforthefamily.org.uk/

Supportline is a confidential telephone helpline offering emotional support to any individual on any issue including child abuse, bullying, eating disorders, domestic violence, rape, mental health, depression, anxiety and addictions. 
Phone: 01708 765 200 (free 6pm-8pm Tues-Thur)
www.supportline.org.uk

NSPCC is a major UK charity specialising in child protection and the prevention of cruelty to children. The NSPCC’s purpose is to end cruelty to children. Help for adults concerned about a child: 
Phone: 0808 800 5000 (free 11am-6pm Mon-Fri) or email help@nspcc.org.uk 
www.nspcc.org.uk