Investing in Perinatal Mental Health: Economic Evidence for Policy, Research and Practice – Part 1: Practical Cost Calculator Demonstration

GOLTC Global Perinatal Mental Health Interest Group webinar

Date: 5 May 2026

Time: 13.00 to 14.30 BST (you can check your local time here)

Link: Register to join on Zoom 

Webinar series: Investing in Perinatal Mental Health: Economic Evidence for Policy, Research and Practice

Background:

Perinatal mental health problems are common worldwide and have significant consequences for parents, infants, families, and societies. Despite growing recognition of their impact, economic evidence on the costs of perinatal mental health problems and the value of investing in prevention and care is still underused in decision-making, particularly in resource-constrained settings.

This webinar series aims to strengthen how economic evidence is generated, interpreted, and applied to inform research, policy, and service development in perinatal mental health. It brings together researchers, practitioners, policy makers, and others interested in using economic insights to support more effective and equitable investment in maternal mental health.

The series is linked to the Global Economics in Maternal Mental Health (GEMMH) project and the development of practical resources, including a Cost Calculator tool.

Across the series, we will explore:

• Practical tools for estimating the costs of perinatal mental health problems
• How economic evidence can support policy and investment decisions
• Country case studies illustrating how cost and economic evidence can inform research, advocacy, and service development
• Opportunities to build a global community of practice around economic evidence in perinatal mental health.

Webinar 1: Making the Case for Investment in Perinatal Mental Health: A Practical Cost Calculator Demonstration

Introduction

The first webinar in the series will introduce a new Cost Calculator tool designed to help researchers, practitioners, and policy stakeholders estimate the economic costs associated with perinatal mental health problems and explore the potential value of investing in interventions.

The session will provide a practical, step-by-step demonstration of the tool, including how it can be used to:

• estimate the economic impact of perinatal mental health problems in different settings
• support grant applications and research proposals
• develop policy briefs and investment cases
• inform discussions with commissioners, funders, and decision makers.

Participants will also hear about how the tool is being applied in different contexts and will have the opportunity to ask questions and discuss potential uses in their own work.

This session is intended for anyone interested in strengthening the economic case for investing in perinatal mental health, including researchers, clinicians, programme implementers, policy advisers, and advocates.

The webinar will cover:

1. Introduction to the Global Observatory of Long-Term care and welcome (Adelina Comas-Herrera, Care Policy and Evaluation Centre, LSE, UK).
2. Introduction to the GOLTC Interest Group and the Global Economics in Maternal Mental Health Project (Annette Bauer, LSE)
3. Making the Economic Case for Perinatal Mental Health: A Practical Cost Calculator Demonstration, Annette Bauer, LSE
4. Q&A