ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to identify the prevalence of perinatal mental health problems (PMHP) and the potential consequences associated with a failure to effectively identify and support those women at risk. Issues surrounding assessment and identification of PMHP will be explored and the utility of measures briefly deliberated. Risk factors examines, raising thought provoking questions for practitioners and service providers about the foundations of effective interventions for women with PMHP. The 2014 guidelines have responded to the increasing evidence base around perinatal anxiety and additionally sought to address assessment of the range and prevalence of anxiety disorders, using the Generalised Anxiety Disorder Scale-2 as part of routine assessment. The construct of resilience has also been used in recent work as a framework on which to base interventions for women with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), though with more efficacious effects demonstrated in women without existing mental illness.
