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Action on Postpartum Psychosis (APP)

The David Riddell Memorial CIO was delighted to provide funding to support Action on Postpartum Psychosis (APP) to help reduce the risk of suicide among women affected by postpartum psychosis.

Postpartum psychosis is a severe mental illness that can develop rapidly after childbirth. Although women can expect to make a full recovery, many experience isolation, trauma and stigma, while families often struggle to find specialist support. APP is the UK's only charity dedicated to postpartum psychosis, working to improve support, information, professional training and research.

The funding focused on three areas of APP's work:

  • Expanding specialist peer support.

  • Improving awareness and education about postpartum psychosis.

  • Supporting families bereaved through postpartum psychosis.

Expanding peer support

The grant enabled APP to train 16 new peer support volunteers, increasing the charity's capacity to provide specialist support through telephone, email, video calls, in-person meetings and its online community. It also helped APP expand its work with Black and Asian communities by supporting peer groups for Muslim women and establishing a new peer support group for Black mothers.

APP's annual survey showed the difference this support makes. Among women using the service:

  • 97% felt more supported

  • 89% felt less isolated

  • 98% felt more informed about PP

  • 91% felt less negative about PP

  • 96% felt more hopeful about the future

  • 96% felt that APP had helped, or was helping, them to recover

  • 90% felt more able to talk about their PP with family, friends and health professionals

  • 44% said they might not be alive if they had not found APP's peer support services

One peer support beneficiary commented: “I don’t know where I would be without APP. I was struggling so much and, even with perinatal mental health team involvement, I felt so isolated and misunderstood. I was losing hope of any recovery and fighting suicidal thoughts even though I had a much-wanted child at last. The understanding and encouragement I’ve received has been everything in my ongoing slow recovery….I know I was struggling with the depression after recovering from the psychosis, I don’t imagine I’d be here if I didn’t get the support I needed from APP….APP has allowed me to accept that what happened to me doesn't have to be an isolating experience, and has given me a community of others who have experienced PP."

Improving awareness

Early recognition of postpartum psychosis is vital. The grant supported APP's work to improve awareness among health professionals through training and education. More than 2,600 health professionals registered for APP's annual Alex Baish Memorial Webinar; Essential Knowledge for Preventing Maternal Suicide, while more than 1,300 professionals attended additional training and lived experience events across the UK. APP also continued distributing its free antenatal education toolkit to maternity hospitals and GP practices throughout the UK.

Supporting bereaved families

The grant also enabled APP to continue providing specialist support for partners, parents, adult children and other relatives bereaved through postpartum psychosis, alongside raising awareness through conferences, professional education and campaigning to improve understanding of the illness.

One family supported by APP reflected: "APP have been a guiding light during the maelstrom of shock, disbelief, unimaginable grief... They have been there for the whole family... offering support, space, compassion, kindness and guidance."

Impact

The David Riddell Memorial CIO's funding has helped APP strengthen specialist support for women and families affected by postpartum psychosis, expand services for Black and Asian communities, improve awareness among health professionals and continue developing dedicated bereavement support.

APP concluded in its grant report: "The grant has helped us to support and develop vital peer- and bereavement support work, in particular, reducing isolation amongst women and families affected by postpartum psychosis and building community to improve care and reduce the risk of suicide."

For more information, visit the Action on Postpartum Psychosis (APP) website.