Postnatal Depression Services

Postnatal depression is a serious condition affecting 1 in 6 mothers and 1 in 10 fathers with long
term consequences for the whole family. It can be successfully treated. We provide
one of the only independent services with creche facilities for mothers and fathers
with postnatal depression in the U.K.

The Postnatal Depression Services, Lothian was established in 1988. Its primary aim
is

To provide support for families where a mother or father is suffering from

Postnatal Depression, through a range of services.

Further aims are:

To increase public and professional awareness of Postnatal Depression

To prevent admission or limit length of stay in psychiatric hospital
To keep abreast of research regarding effective interventions with families
suffering from PND and develop services accordingly
To encourage the development of services out-with Edinburgh and Lothians
Area
To develop training and education for professionals in the field of Postnatal
Depression

Outline of Existing Service

The Postnatal Depression Services understands that when a parent experiences
postnatal depression the whole family is affected. By intervening at an early stage,
positive changes and growth within relationships can be brought about .At the
Postnatal Depression Services, Lothian we offer the following services:

Individual and Couples Counselling

Womens Therapy Groups
Fathers' Groups
Art Therapy, both individually and in groups
Infant Massage, both individually and in groups
Couples Groups
Crche Facilities
Telephone Support
Family Therapy
Training, Education & Consultancy in Postnatal Depression

What is Postnatal Depression?

Postnatal Blues:

50% of mothers up to 10 days after childbirth

Begins day 2-4, peaks day 4-6, lasts 2-7 days

Probable hormonal basis

Postnatal Depression:

1 in 6 women and 1 in 10 men experience Postnatal Depression after

childbirth
Affects the childs development & the whole family (Lovestone & Kumar,
1993)
Where undetected & untreated, can go on for months or years (Cox, 1996)

Puerperal Psychosis:

Psychotic illness which occurs suddenly in relationship with childbirth.

Affects 0.2% of mothers. Onset is usually between 3rd and 14th postpartum
day & duration is anything from 6 weeks to 6 months.
Urgent Psychiatric care is required. Mother & baby, when appropriate &
feasible, may require admission to hospital.

Locations of the Postnatal Depression Services

Wallace House, 3 Boswall Road, Edinburgh EH5 3RJ tel 0131 538 7288, the
Postnatal Depression Services Main Office, based on the North side of the
City.
Palmerston Place PND Centre,8a Palmerston Place, Edinburgh EH12 4AA
tel 0131 220 3547, in the city centre of Edinburgh.
East Edinburgh PND Centre, The Gate Lodge, 27 Milton Road East,
Edinburgh EH15 2NL tel: 0131 454 4315, near Portobello.
We also provide an Outreach Service at Craigour Community Health Flat in
Gracemount, Edinburgh.

Referrals to the Postnatal Depression Services

Clients may self-refer or be referred by a health professional. Referrals can be made
by telephoning our main office at Wallace House, tel: 0131 558 7288. At the time of
referral the client will have a child under the age of 2 years old. Once a referral has
been made, the client will be invited to attend an initial appointment at one of our
centres to explore the kind of support most suitable. Group support is generally
available fairly immediately. Individual counselling may involve a short waiting list
depending on counsellor availability at the time of referral.

Support for the Whole Family

Men and women can both experience postnatal depression. Having a baby is a major
event in a parent's life, and it can be a time to review and process ways of being in the
world.
Society assumes that the arrival of a baby will bring happiness and satisfaction to the

parents and family. This is not always the case. There are many myths about
parenthood.
Research shows that some parents can become depressed, anxious and low during the
perinatal period.
Pregnancy and childbirth is a time of major change and transition, and can affect a
parents sense of self, identity and effectiveness. All change involves loss, even
welcomed change.
Some parents become distressed by their inability to cope and do not recognise that
they may be affected by postnatal depression.
For some parents the onset of depression / anxiety may be during pregnancy, for
others not until their child is born. Whenever it starts, the impact on the parent,
partner and/or other family members can be difficult to understand and to process.
It is important to realise that help is available.

Funding
The Postnatal Depression Services is a CrossReach Charity, established in 1988, and
is largely funded by the Church of Scotland. We receive one sixth of our funding from
NHS Lothian, and constantly seek funding from trusts and other potential funding
sources. Although our service is available to all clients irrespective of ability to
contribute, we do ask our clients for donations to services received where this might
be possible.
N.B. Our service is available to all clients irrespective of ability to contribute.

Staff
We currently employ 18 staff at the Postnatal Depression Services in Edinburgh and
are supported in our work by 85 volunteers. We are a multidisciplinary team of
counsellors and therapists, administrators and creche workers. We work closely with
health professionals and receive over 80% of our referrals from health professionals.
All our counsellors and therapists are qualified to a minimum of Diploma level and
come from a variety of different core theoretical backgrounds. The Postnatal
Depression Services is an Organisational Member of both COSCA and BACP.
We always welcome new volunteers. Currently we are in need of volunteers to help
with fundraising and promoting the service. All enquiries and applications can be
made by contacting our main office at Wallace House, tel: 0131 538 7288.

Vacancies:
We currently have Vacancies (permanent, paid) for a Senior Supervisor (12 hour
post) and a Counsellor (23 hour post) - closing date: 10th Feb.2012.

For further information contact, Tessa Haring, Manager of Services, tel: 0131 538
7288.