The National Committee of the Canadian Perinatal Mental Health Collaborative has launched a petition to call on the federal government to develop a national strategy for perinatal mental health.
The need for a national strategy is apparent in both statistics and in the personal stories of women across Canada, including women on P.E.I.
The term perinatal mental illness refers to changes in mental health that occur before, during and after childbirth.
Perinatal mental illness is the most common complication during and following childbirth, yet 85 per cent of mothers who experience changes in mental health go undiagnosed at a cost of $11 billion dollars annually to the Canadian economy.
Developing a national strategy would bring Canada on par with national programs in UK, Australia and parts of the United States.
Islanders can sign the petition here.
Mothers experiencing mental illness in P.E.I. can find peer support in Moms In Mind, an online and in person peer support group on the Island. They can also self-refer to community mental health and mental health walk-in clinics by contacting 811 or by calling the P.E.I. Helpline and can find supports at the Women’s Wellness Program at 1-844-365-8258.
