ABSTRACT
Introduction Women are at greatest risk of suffering from mental illness during their reproductive years, and at very particular risk in relation to childbirth. Psychological adjustment, social challenges and neurohormonal changes in pregnancy and parturition may all contribute to this risk. The consequences of maternal mental illness may be severe. Suicide is among the leading causes of maternal death in the UK1 and psychiatric factors are implicated in a further significant number of deaths in pregnancy and during the first postnatal year. Increasing evidence points to the detrimental effect of untreated maternal anxiety and depression on infant development. Women with severe mental illness are also more likely to have unplanned pregnancies. Maternal health professionals have an important role in identifying women at risk, reducing progression to future morbidity and mortality.
