Worldwide, maternal depression is the most common serious health complication of maternity. This and other mental health disorders in pregnancy and postnatally result in huge human and economic costs for this generation and the next – yet they are a neglected area of investment in services and research.
Mental health disorders in pregnancy and following childbirth are roughly twice as common in low-income countries as they are in high-income countries. Maternal mental health must be prioritised if the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are to be achieved by 2030.
GAMMH’s goal is to prevent the avoidable, and often tragic, suffering experienced by women and their families, ensuring child development does not continue to be compromised by a global failure to provide appropriate support and services for mothers’ mental health.
- Develop a global maternal mental health website showcasing key policy papers, resources, a maternal mental health map and personal testimonies from women and families around the world
- Seek to highlight the economic costs (in a global context) of maternal mental health problems
- Produce an annual global maternal mental health briefing paper
- Encourage and inform the development of national maternal mental health alliances
