We aim to bring together researchers and those engaged in or interested in perinatal mental health research—such as practitioners, individuals with lived experience, and policy advisors—to exchange evidence, research insights, and ideas on how to invest in and scale treatment and support globally, despite resource constraints and system challenges.

The group seeks to bridge the disparities in access to evidence and research, and we therefore welcome those new to the field. We are excited about using GOLTC as freely available platform, thus opening the exchange with colleagues from long-term care, with expertise or interest in bridging the data to delivery gap in areas of integration and scaling, and who share a life course and family perspective to long-term care.

We want this group to have tangible benefits: Members are invited to use it for knowledge exchange and capacity building linked to their own research projects and initiatives. The idea for this group stemmed from working with the Science Translation for e-Psychological Perinatal Supports Centre for Research Excellence (STePPS CRE) project which seeks to increase the uptake of evidence-based e-mental health interventions in the first 1,000 days and will support the early phase of the group.

Examples of goals this group can support are:

• disseminating new findings and knowledge to researchers and wider audiences;
• developing new research project ideas and networks to collaborate on research proposals;
• advancing the professional development of early- and mid-career researcher, or those new to the field.

Specific activities or resources that members of the group might want to initiate, lead, contribute to, or share include:

• case study summaries;
• training or development resources;
• social media contents;
• practical tools;
• blogs, website materials, videos.

Topics discussed by the group include digital technologies, task shifting, cultural adaptation, community-driven solutions and system strengthening approaches & role of economic evidence and tools.

Steering group:

Core members:

• Jeannette Milgrom, Prof, Director, Parent-Infant Research Institute, Austin Health, Australia
• Yafit Hirshler, PhD, Research Fellow & Project Manager, Parent-Infant Research Institute, Austin Health, Australia
• Annette Bauer, PhD, Assistant Professorial Research Fellow, Care Policy & Evaluation Centre, London School of Economics and Political Science, UK

Wider steering group members:

• Marilyn Ahun, PhD, Assistant Professor, McGill University, Canada
• Donela Besada, PhD, MRC Senior Research Fellow, University of Cape Town, South Africa
• Genesis Chorwe, PhD, Associate Professor, Kamuzu University, Malawi
• Giles Berrisford, MD, National Specialty Advisor for Perinatal Mental Health to NHS England & Consultant Perinatal Psychiatrist, Maudsley Health, UK and United Arab Emirates
• Clare Dolman, PhD, Researcher with Lived Experience, King’s College London, UK
• Cindy-Lee Dennis, Prof, Department of Psychiatry University of Toronto, Canada
• LenaYri Engelsen, Founder of Landsforeningen1001dager, Norway
• Jane Fisher, Prof, Director Global and Women’s Health and Head School of Public Health and Preventative Medicine, Monash University, Australia
• Vivette Glover, Prof, Perinatal Psychobiology Imperial College London, UK
• Alain Gregoire, MD, Founder and Director of Global Alliance for Marebal Mental Health and Visiting LSE Professor, UK
• Simone Honikman, Associate Prof, University of Cape Town, Founder and Director of Perinatal Mental Health Project, South Africa
• Nusrat Husain, Prof, The University of Manchester
• Hamish Magoffin, Founder and Director Pranaiya & Arthur Magoffin Foundation, Thailand
• Shanon McNab, Senior Technical Advisor, Jhpiego & USAID Momentum Lead, US
• Tatiana Salisbury, Reader in Global Mental Health and Design at King’s College London (KCL), UK 
• Lauren Stewart, Prof, School of Psychology, University of Roehamptom, UK
• Robert Stewart, Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer, University of Edinburgh and Consultant Perinatal Psychiatrist, NHS Lothian, UK

 

 

Example of projects & initiatives that will be discussed by this group

Science Translation for e-Psychological Perinatal Supports (STePPS CRE) seeks to increase the uptake of evidence-based e-mental health interventions in the first 1,000 days. Led by the Parent Infant Research Institute, the STePPS collaboration provides a powerful basis to develop programs, build workforce capacity and drive translation into policy and practice.

https://www.steppscre.org/

 

Community Health Intervention through Musical Engagement (CHIME) for Perinatal Mental Health is a collaborative project working to investigate how embedded musical practices might be developed to support perinatal mental health across Africa. This project has partnerships with local government agencies, international academic partners and funding from the Medical Research Council and the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

https://www.chimeproject.com/

 

Generation Malawi is a multi-generational family/birth cohort study in Malawi that investigates the longitudinal course and pregnancy, early-life and intergenerational effects for chronic mental and physical health conditions. The study led to important infrastructure development including the establishment of rural and urban hybrid face to face and telephone delivered mental health clinics to accept referrals, development of a technical working group and a national Maternal Mental Health Manual. Further system strengthening research is planned.

https://www.meiru.info/generation-malawi/

 

Global Economics in Maternal Mental Health project works with stakeholders to develop context-specific economic evidence that can inform investments into perinatal mental health services and the scaling of evidence-based treatment. It is a flexible and multi-facetted programme of work that is funded from smaller pots of money in response to opportunities and need, working alongside networks and alliances, such as the Global Alliance for Maternal Mental Health. Examples of projects are cost studies that had impacts worldwide, as well a return-on-investment analyses. The project seeks to make resources accessible in practical web-based tools (e.g., cost benefit calculator) and case summaries. Current work includes a collaborative project with the Pranaiya & Arthur Magoffin Foundation (PAM) Foundation in Thailand.

https://www.lse.ac.uk/cpec/news/perinatal-mental-health