Action on Postpartum Psychosis (APP) is a charity that supports mums and families affected by postpartum psychosis – a severe but treatable mental illness that begins in the days and weeks after giving birth. Alongside this support APP produces robust research and expert materials which allow the team to raise awareness and campaign for change within healthcare services and through government. APP was awarded a Voices from the Frontline grant by Rosa in 2023.
Louise Bennett, UK Programmes Manager at Action on Postpartum Psychosis, explains:
“The fact that Rosa funds campaigning work is amazing – I can’t tell you how many funders there are who immediately say they don’t support campaigning work. It’s really difficult to access money to fund this vital piece of the change-making jigsaw. All of APP’s work is important and potentially life-saving for women who experience postpartum psychosis and a lot of what we achieve is done through campaigns and by enabling our lived-experience campaigners to tell their stories to encourage people to really listen and to change things.”
A key focus of APP’s campaigning is its calls for more Mother and Baby Units (MBUs) across the UK. For women who experience postpartum psychosis MBUs are essential. Not only are they specialist facilities staffed by expert teams but they mean that new mums aren’t separated from their babies. Instead, babies stay with their mother who is supported to care for them whilst receiving treatment herself. Too many parts of the UK do not have MBUs, this means that mums and babies are forced to travel miles for treatment or mums can end up on adult psychiatric wards, without their babies and without specialist care.
The situation is particularly stark in Northern Ireland, where there are no MBU’s but this is set to change thanks to APP’s campaigning work, which was funded by a grant from Rosa’s Voices from the Frontline fund.
APP successfully applied for a grant from the Voices from the Frontline fund to engage a communication specialist in Northern Ireland and to fund support for women with lived experience to share their knowledge and expertise safely and in a way that was beneficial to them. In 2022 APP set up its first Northern Ireland cafe group – an informal and safe space for women who have suffered postpartum psychosis to meet and share their experiences and vision for change.
Tara Maguire one of APP’s peer support beneficiaries in Northern Ireland says:
“Campaigning for a Mother and Baby Unit for me is about dispelling the stigma, we cannot control why we get unwell but we can control how we are treated; it’s about reclaiming control, fostering resilience, and ensuring every mother finds solace in the strength she possesses.”
Of course, this change is incredibly important and will make a real difference to women in Northern Ireland who suffer from postpartum psychosis, but it’s even more impressive that APP secured a commitment for the MBU during political deadlock. APP’s campaign led to the Department of Health’s Permanent Secretary, Peter May, confirming a new MBU will be set up at Belfast City Hospital.
Louise continues:
“Without this funding we wouldn’t have been able to access the specialist knowledge that allowed us to make such a huge change in Northern Ireland, it really was invaluable – particularly given the political deadlock and the impact of this on policy decisions. This isn’t the end of our work in Northern Ireland – we need to keep the pressure on and to get a timeline and funding commitment for the unit but we’re delighted to have got this far. The Voices from the Frontline grant made a real difference to our work and it definitely turbo-charged our campaign.”
Emma Jayne Hickman, APP service user:
“I experienced postpartum psychosis after the birth of my youngest son in 2016. It was quite lonely here in Northern Ireland recovering from my episode of PP I didn’t feel I had anyone to relate too. This all changed when I found Action on Postpartum Psychosis. I felt and continue to feel like I have met my tribe of mums and this has been really empowering. It has helped me process this hard part of motherhood.
Which is why I volunteered to share my story on our local news channel. I did this on behalf of APP and also for all the other mothers who had to experience PP here in Northern Ireland as it is horrible and traumatic to not only go through this but to be separated from your baby at a really crucial time.
I really hope our government gives adequate funding for Northern Ireland to have its first Mother and Baby Unit. I believe with absolute certainty that having this specialist unit will help work towards ending the stigma around mothers experiencing mental illness.
However more importantly I feel it will help each mother get the right help and support they need. Which will ensure that mothers no longer need to be separated from their baby.”