‘No help’ for depressed pregnant women

ALMOST 90% of pregnant women who reported psychological problems such as depression failed to be referred to a mental health service, a study has found.

Figures revealed at the College of Psychiatry of Ireland’s inaugural conference have shown that despite the need to pay close attention to the wellbeing of an expectant mother, 432 women who reported some form of psychological distress in 2006 were not referred to a specialist.

According to the research conducted by Dr Aileen McCauliffe, of the South Lee Mental Health Service in Cork, during the period a total of 4,188 pregnant women who attended midwife booking clinics at the Dublin-based hospital underwent psychological assessment.