Improve Perinatal Mental Health Services in NZ
The Issue
UPDATE - I have moved this petition to Action Station. Please sign the petition there (existing signatures have been carried over).
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This petition calls for the New Zealand Government to urgently reform perinatal mental health services and fund the establishment of mother and baby units to better support mothers experiencing acute postpartum mental illness.
With the repealing and replacing of the Mental Health Act currently taking place and open for public submissions, I feel that now is the time to get this important issue in front of decision makers to ensure provisions are put in place in the new legislation to ensure there are better outcomes for mothers and babies.
Why this this issue important to me? In 2022, after a pregnancy that culminated in complications, five days of failed inductions, a C-section and about 2 weeks of little to no sleep, I developed an acute postpartum mental illness. Despite actively and voluntarily seeking treatment including presenting to ED knowing I was unwell, I was sectioned under the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992. I was separated from my baby at just three weeks postpartum and placed in general psychiatric ward. The ward added no therapeutic benefit to my recovery, the conditions were more akin to those of a prison and was in no way a suitable environment to appropriately treat someone experiencing a postpartum mental illness.
The experience left me with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and severe depression, and has had a long lasting impact. From speaking to other women who have had similar experiences, I have come to realise that this situation is not unique to me — mothers experiencing postpartum mental illness face the same systemic issues, receiving inadequate care and being separated from their babies which causes long lasting trauma.
Key Issues:
Capability of perinatal mental health services. Currently, there is a significant shortage of resources, leading to a reactive, crisis-driven approach where individuals often only receive help when they are in urgent need, much like an 'ambulance at the bottom of the cliff' response. This results in many not getting the proactive and voluntary care they require until it's too late and thus results in compulsory treatment orders, or worst case scenario, tragic outcomes.
Lack of Specialised Care: Current mental health services are insufficiently equipped to support postpartum women, particularly in general psychiatric wards that fail to address the specific needs of mothers.
Trauma of Separation: The separation of mothers from their newborn babies during such a vulnerable time is profoundly damaging to both the mother and the child, exacerbating mental health struggles and hindering recovery.
Need for Accessible Mother and Baby Units: There is an urgent need for mother and baby units that are accessible to all women (including in the regional areas) that would allow mothers experiencing postpartum mental illness to receive the care they need while remaining with their infants, promoting healing and the vital mother-child bond.
Call to Action: We urge the New Zealand Government to:
- Implement reforms to the Mental Health Act to ensure that provisions are in place to ensure that women in the perinatal period receive appropriate treatment, and are treated with dignity and respect.
- Fund mother and baby units that are accessible to postpartum women who are experiencing acute mental illness that requires in-patient treatment
- Address the unique needs of postpartum women within mental health services, ensuring that care is gender-sensitive and trauma-informed.
By improving perinatal mental health services and funding dedicated mother and baby units, we can ensure that no mother is forced to endure the traumatic separation from their newborn or face inadequate care in a general psychiatric ward. This is essential for the well-being of both mothers and their babies, and it is a necessary step in improving mental health care for all New Zealanders.
The Issue
UPDATE - I have moved this petition to Action Station. Please sign the petition there (existing signatures have been carried over).
*****
This petition calls for the New Zealand Government to urgently reform perinatal mental health services and fund the establishment of mother and baby units to better support mothers experiencing acute postpartum mental illness.
With the repealing and replacing of the Mental Health Act currently taking place and open for public submissions, I feel that now is the time to get this important issue in front of decision makers to ensure provisions are put in place in the new legislation to ensure there are better outcomes for mothers and babies.
Why this this issue important to me? In 2022, after a pregnancy that culminated in complications, five days of failed inductions, a C-section and about 2 weeks of little to no sleep, I developed an acute postpartum mental illness. Despite actively and voluntarily seeking treatment including presenting to ED knowing I was unwell, I was sectioned under the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992. I was separated from my baby at just three weeks postpartum and placed in general psychiatric ward. The ward added no therapeutic benefit to my recovery, the conditions were more akin to those of a prison and was in no way a suitable environment to appropriately treat someone experiencing a postpartum mental illness.
The experience left me with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and severe depression, and has had a long lasting impact. From speaking to other women who have had similar experiences, I have come to realise that this situation is not unique to me — mothers experiencing postpartum mental illness face the same systemic issues, receiving inadequate care and being separated from their babies which causes long lasting trauma.
Key Issues:
Capability of perinatal mental health services. Currently, there is a significant shortage of resources, leading to a reactive, crisis-driven approach where individuals often only receive help when they are in urgent need, much like an 'ambulance at the bottom of the cliff' response. This results in many not getting the proactive and voluntary care they require until it's too late and thus results in compulsory treatment orders, or worst case scenario, tragic outcomes.
Lack of Specialised Care: Current mental health services are insufficiently equipped to support postpartum women, particularly in general psychiatric wards that fail to address the specific needs of mothers.
Trauma of Separation: The separation of mothers from their newborn babies during such a vulnerable time is profoundly damaging to both the mother and the child, exacerbating mental health struggles and hindering recovery.
Need for Accessible Mother and Baby Units: There is an urgent need for mother and baby units that are accessible to all women (including in the regional areas) that would allow mothers experiencing postpartum mental illness to receive the care they need while remaining with their infants, promoting healing and the vital mother-child bond.
Call to Action: We urge the New Zealand Government to:
- Implement reforms to the Mental Health Act to ensure that provisions are in place to ensure that women in the perinatal period receive appropriate treatment, and are treated with dignity and respect.
- Fund mother and baby units that are accessible to postpartum women who are experiencing acute mental illness that requires in-patient treatment
- Address the unique needs of postpartum women within mental health services, ensuring that care is gender-sensitive and trauma-informed.
By improving perinatal mental health services and funding dedicated mother and baby units, we can ensure that no mother is forced to endure the traumatic separation from their newborn or face inadequate care in a general psychiatric ward. This is essential for the well-being of both mothers and their babies, and it is a necessary step in improving mental health care for all New Zealanders.
The Decision Makers
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Petition created on 9 December 2024