Case study: Four part-time psychiatrists treating high rates of pregnancy depression

High depression rates among mums-to-be highlight the inadequacy of having just four part-time psychiatrists to treat mental ill-health in the state’s obstetric services, a new study has found.

Veronica O’Keane, lead investigator in Well Before Birth, the first all-Ireland screening study of the prevalence of depression during pregnancy, said perinatal psychiatry services were “grossly under-resourced” and needed to be addressed “as a matter of priority” in the National Maternity Strategy.

“The major maternity centres need at least one full-time perinatal psychiatrist each. They are dealing with around 7,000 births per year and even if depression rates were at a minimum of 10%, that’s 700 women,” said Prof O’Keane, professor in psychiatry at Trinity College Dublin (TCD).