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Family mental health

Family mental health

What happens in the first few years of a child’s life can shape their whole life.

Looking after your own mental health and wellbeing is important as a parent or carer.

Parenting is a full-time job and whilst it can be very rewarding, it can also be tiring and stressful. When parents take care of themselves the whole family benefits. Even young children are tuned into how their parents are feeling.

Whilst it's natural to experience a range of emotions as a parent, if difficult feelings start to have a big effect on your day-to-day life, you may be experiencing a mental health problem.

Many parents struggle with their mental health at times. For example, 1 in 10 new mothers experience postnatal depression within a year of giving birth and up to 38% of first-time fathers worry about their mental health.

If you're struggling with how you're feeling, you're not alone, and support is available.

With the right support most people make a full recovery.

You can visit these sites to get support:

  • IAPT is a local NHS programme for access to psychological therapies
  • York Women’s Counselling provide affordable counselling for women in York and surrounding areas
  • Crisis team provide specialist assessment for people aged 16 and over who need urgent mental health care
  • Samaritans provide a confidential emotional support service for anyone in distress or experiencing suicidal thought and feelings
  • 121 Counselling is an independent voluntary counselling service

You can also access support from your Midwife or Health Visitor from the Healthy Child Service, Local Area Coordinator or GP.

The Healthy Child Service offer support and information to families experiencing specific difficulties such as anxiety, postnatal depression, social isolation and domestic abuse. Health visitors offer Perinatal mental health listening visits (to mothers up to 1 year following birth of child) and work in partnership with partner agencies to support families and can refer to specialist services.

Lots of support is available within your local community. Visit Live Well York for mental health information.

In addition, visit these sites for further support:

Your relationship with your partner

Find advice and support around healthy relationships in parenting.

Mental health and wellbeing support for all the family

The Institute of health visitor’s have lots of useful parenting tips on:

In addition, find support from:

  • Maternal mental health alliance creates campaigns for all women throughout the UK who experience a perinatal mental illness to receive the care that they and their families need
  • Relate provide counselling service to individuals, couples, children, young people and families
  • Raise York coping with crying has information for parents on coping with crying and support
  • Homestart York is a city wide network, linking families with other services and providing support for families
  • Dad pad is the essential guide for new dads, developed with the NHS. There is a free app available or a wipe-clean page book to purchase
  • The Mental Health Foundation and The Fatherhood Institute have a useful resource for you, as you become a dad

Birth Trauma

Birth trauma or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after birth can affect women and some partners or families too, from witnessing a traumatic birth.

Find support from:

Infant feeding

The Breastfeeding Network have information about anxiety and depression and also taking mental health medication while breastfeeding.

Find out more about:

Postnatal mental health videos

Watch the following videos about:

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