Mental Health and Covid-19: A Focus on the Wellbeing of New Parents in the UK

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There has been a recent surge in cases of new parents suffering mental health issues in 2020 as a result of Covid-19. This for parents is due to many contributing factors, including the need to balance childcare and work, and social isolation from loved ones who before the pandemic may have played a more prominent role in helping with childcare. 

This article will examine the impact COVID-19 has had on new parents and what different countries in the United Kingdom are doing to support and protect those with mental health with a particular focus on Scotland.

Being a new parent is hard and quite naturally can affect you both physically and emotionally. You have the quintessential baby blues, hormonal fluctuations, and back-breaking job of caring for a newborn.

Mental health can decline as a result of becoming a parent, confirmed in research conducted in early 2020 revealing up to 70% of new and expectant mothers suffer mental health issues during and/ or after pregnancy (including pre and postnatal depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, PTSD and body image issues), and 30% of new fathers are concerned about their mental health after becoming parents. 

The Impact of Covid-19 on Mental Health

As a result of Covid-19 and the subsequent stay at home orders, physical and social isolation has intensified concerns of individuals, feeling increasingly lonely and despondent, due to job loss and the inevitable end of the furlough scheme, providing a necessary safety net for many struggling financially as a result of the pandemic.

There has been a surge in cases of mothers experiencing depression, anxiety, and reduced levels of physical activity during Covid-19 (all of which can have a long-lasting devastating impact on the physical and emotional wellbeing of the mother and baby).  These concerns often emerge in parallel with financial worries, or strain felt as a result of juggling working from home and caring for children.

Legal and Governmental Responses 

All UK Governments must abide by the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2006 (CRPD) as well as the World Health Organization (WHO) foundational principles when dealing with mental health cases. These principles emphasize the importance of care being provided in the least restrictive way possible, and when a case decision can affect bodily integrity or liberty, there must be an automatic periodic review. In accordance with this, different governments in the UK are taking active steps to protect mental health:

Wales 

The Welsh Governments' 'Together for Mental Health' consultation categorises improving access, and quality of perinatal mental health services as a priority area for action (for 2019-2022). 

England

In England, The Government's Five Year Forward View for Mental Health is in operation. As a result access to specialist perinatal mental health support has increased, but the Royal College of Psychiatrists warn against assuming things have improved too much, as suicide remains a leading cause of death of mothers in pre-pregnancy and postnatal periods.

Scotland

Scotland actively recognises the importance of supporting parents and their mental health as is evident through:

• The Mental Health Act 2015 widened the duty placed on health boards to provide 'services and accommodation' for mothers admitted to hospital who care for their children, from 'certain mothers with postnatal depression' ( in the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) Scotland Act 2003), to 'postnatal depression or other mental disorders' as long as it is in the best interest of the child.

• The 2016 Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland, which recommended the creation of a National Managed Clinical Network (MCN) for perinatal mental health. It provides information to women and families affected by poor mental health, as well as guidance to professionals working within client-based services, in how to support individuals struggling with their mental health.

• Lastly, as of August 2020, The Scottish Government announced a commitment to tackling mental health through additional funding by investing up to £1 million in the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health over 3 years, aimed at helping charitable organizations provide the necessary support for parents and children struggling at this time. 

However, although the fund is beneficial in enhancing peer support and counselling services for parents, it does not fully address concerns around the availability of mental health services in Scotland and the rest of the UK. Those who are disadvantaged and from vulnerable backgrounds may find the fund difficult to access. There are even concerns surrounding the limited routine assessment of fathers’ mental health, resulting in a lack of professional support as mothers. The UK National Equality Panel suggests it may be due to social and economic inequities as a result of “the long arm of people’s origins [shapes] their life chances, stretching through life stages, literally from cradle to grave”. 

Support for New Fathers and Men with Declining Mental Health? 

In  2015, a longitudinal study revealed approximately 1 in 3 fathers were concerned about their mental health during the first 2 years of their baby’s life.  Fortunately, as the result of prominent campaigns including Mark Williams ‘Fathers Reaching Out’ in 2016, many of the issues faced by fathers have been brought to the fore, highlighting how fathers can often experience similar mental health concerns as mothers.

Recent ONS Statistics from 2019 show the male suicide rate in England and Wales has peaked at the highest rate in 20 years with men accounting for 4,303 deaths out of 5,691 suicides registered. Given the delays surrounding inquests in 2020, it is difficult to determine the direct impact of Covid-19 on suicide rates and mental health in men. Still, statistics to date are part of a persistent and worrying trend needing to be addressed before more individuals reach crisis point. This can include new fathers who do not perhaps qualify as a most vulnerable or at-risk category at face value but may suffer in silence with their mental health. 

Societal Barriers to Improvement: How to reduce the stigma attached to mental health

The issue remains how we as a society can reduce the stigma attached to mental health issues experienced by parents and men and women generally.

On a personal level, we must be more candid about our struggles whether that be with peers and loved ones, or professionals who are willing in turn to actively listen and consider our feelings.

Mental health is a discussion for parents to have with their children; supported at school to learn more about symptoms of negative mental health and encouraged to discuss their feelings with a responsible adult. 

Through the Getting it Right for Every Child Initiative, the Scottish Government has committed to achieving the highest attainable levels of mental health in the most nurturing environments, inclusive of schools.  In England and Wales, the Future in Mind initiative makes a similar commitment to students and the Department of Education drafted a useful guidance document for teachers through the Mental Health and Behaviour in Schools Report 2018, articulating the responsibility of schools in supporting children's wellbeing and recognising when issues are beginning to emerge through early intervention.

The Government should continue to work through these initiatives and fund third sector organizations providing support, while also working to make sure everybody, regardless of identity, is able to receive the psychological help they need when they need it.

The Mental Health Services and Covid-19: preparing for the rising tide NHS Report, advocates in favour of investment in digital mental health platforms to reduce pressure on healthcare providers during the pandemic. This solution may not be ideal for those who benefit most from in-person counselling but can provide an essential lifeline for those in dire need of help at this time. To ensure the best user experience, consistent feedback and collaborations between the NHS and third sector charities are necessary.

Conclusion

Covid-19 has had an immense impact on the mental health of many individuals, with new parents being no exception to that fact. The research cited is limited in that the studies presented were conducted using relatively small sample sizes, but do convey an important message about the negative impact of the pandemic on parents. This is particularly the case when considering the likelihood of a second wave occurring.

Recommendations by the Scottish, English, and Welsh Governments will no doubt prove beneficial in addressing some concerns around the support available for new parents and children. However, initiatives presented are limited and more action is needed to address issues surrounding unequal access to essential services and limited support for fathers and men throughout the UK. We, therefore, need to reflect on how we can best reduce the stigma surrounding mental health to have an engaging dialogue on this matter, as many of us remain confined to our homes with new perspectives on mental wellness.