University News Last updated 20 October 2014
"The UK's health services are hopelessly underfunded in terms of resources and staff who are trained to deal with new mothers with mental health issues," said Lee Wright, Senior Lecturer in Midwifery and Women’s Health at Birmingham City University.
"Postnatal care has been cut to the bare minimum which means detection is very unlikely before it's too late," added Lee.
A report produced by the London School of Economics and the Centre for Mental Health said that for all births in one year, there would be a long-term cost of more than £8bn stemming from mental health problems.
"Diagnosing mental health changes can be a challenge especially as midwives may discharge women before symptoms develop and women may not share their feelings" said Alison Edwards, Senior Lecturer in Midwifery at Birmingham City University.
"As with any mental illness, because symptoms are not physical and there is such a stigma still associated with depression, women may not admit to how they are feeling and families may not pick up on the signs" added Alison.
"Fifteen per cent of women will suffer from antenatal mental illness in the first trimester of pregnancy - mostly anxiety and depression. Ten per cent of recently delivered mothers can experience postnatal depression of which three to five per cent is severe."