PATH - Perinatal Mental Health project has come to an end

PATH (PerinAtal menTal Health) was an EU-funded project which enabled women, families and healthcare professionals to prevent, diagnose and successfully manage mild and moderate perinatal mental health issues

Becoming a new parent should be an exciting event but for up to one in five women this is not the case. Perinatal mental illnesses (PMI) such as postnatal depression are not always recognised and cost society approximately £64,000 per mother and child.

The project ran from 1 February 2019 to the 30 September 2022. It received funding from the European Regional Development Fund, with a budget of over £7.3 million and involved partners from the UK, the Netherlands, France and Belgium. The Health and Europe Centre was the lead partner in the initiative and worked with Southampton City Council and these other organisations:

• Bournemouth University
• Plymouth and District MIND
• Kent County Council
• Institute of Health Visiting
• Kent & Medway NHS & Social Care Partnership Trust
• Odisee University College (Belgium)
• Antwerp University of Applied Sciences (Belgium)
• Hospital Centre of Douai (France)
• Ngo Attachment in Development (Belgium)
• Maasstad Hospital (Netherlands)
• Antwerp University Hospital (Belgium)

There were also 22 observer partners, including Hampshire Chamber of Commerce and the British Association for Supported Employment.

PATH prepared parents for their new role and helped them avoid PMI, as well as improving the skills of healthcare professionals, equipping them to address PMI confidently and effectively. The project designed, delivered and implemented durable services both online and face-to-face, aiming to increase recognition and prevention of PMI and support new families' mental wellbeing.

The project developed:

• An online multi-media international support hub
• A course of support sessions for 4,000 families in mixed groups of pre-pregnant/pregnant/parents
• A ground-breaking model of holistic family support. This model included peer supporter training and network of intergenerational community support groups