Service Development Guidelines
Integrating Maternal Mental Health: this guide can be used by those planning mental health services or facility managers wanting to implement integrated services – even with limited resources.
Download the guideline here
Basic Counselling Skills
This handbook provides you with some basic counselling skills, like listening, asking questions and reflecting. It also outlines approaches to counselling mothers during pregnancy.
Download the handbook here
Maternal Distress Tool
The mental health screening tool, developed and validated by the PMHP is integrated into the new Department of Health Maternity Case Records.
See page 9 in the Maternity Case Records here
COVID-19 guidance
National COVID-19 Clinical and Operational Guideline for Mothers, Newborns and Children
see a chapter on ‘Psychosocial care’ for this new iteration of COVID-19 guidelines that was led by PMHP in collaboration with a team of experts.
Building vaccine confidence for the COVID-19 Vaccine
is an advisory for service providers on how to promote vaccine confidence among service users.
This draws on local and international evidence as well as World Health Organization guidance and has been reviewed by local experts.
It was adapted for use as a chapter, “Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy” in the Western Cape Department of Health COVID-19 Vaccination in Pregnancy: Information Guide for Healthcare Professionals.
Addressing violence against women in maternity care
A guide for health workers in maternity care
During COVID-19, additional stressors for the family can lead to an increase in intimate partner violence (IPV) or violence by others in the home against pregnant or breastfeeding women. Women can experience physical, sexual, emotional or financial abuse by current or past partners, or by others who live in the home.
Health workers are in a good position to respond and this guide may help you recognise possible signs that a woman is experiencing violence and how to respond.
You can read, download and share here.
Bettercare – Maternal Mental Health guidebook 
Written by Sally Field and Dr Simone Honikman Edited by Prof Dave Woods
A book from the highly successful series based on the Perinatal Education Programme, Maternal Mental Health was written for doctors, nurses and social workers caring for women before and after birth. It provides a clear guide to supporting mental health in the perinatal period.
Order the book or read online.
“I can relate to the book because I have experienced Maternal Mental Illness during pregnancy of my first child and after the pregnancy of my last born child, The maniac episode took place four months after I gave birth.” MF, Department of Social Development North West Province employed as a Social Auxiliary Worker
Facilitating groups in service settings: a guide for facilitators
This guide gives some ideas for ways to help you facilitate groups of people meeting in service settings. These tools may be used to facilitate general meetings or training workshops.
You can read or download the guide here.
Doing What Matters in Times of Stress is a WHO stress management guide for coping with adversity. This illustrated guide supports the implementation of WHO’s recommendations for stress management.
There are many causes of stress, including personal difficulties (e.g. conflict with loved ones, being alone, lack of income, worries about the future), problems at work (e.g. conflict with colleagues, an extremely demanding or insecure job) or major threats in your community (e.g. violence, disease, lack of economic opportunity). This guide is for anyone who experiences stress, ranging from parents and other carers to health professionals working in dangerous situations. It is for both people who flee war, losing all they have, and well protected people living in communities at peace. Anyone living anywhere can experience high levels of stress.
Enabling young children to achieve their full developmental potential is a human right and an essential requisite for sustainable development. Given the critical importance of enabling children to make the best start in life, the health sector, among other sectors, has an important role and responsibility to support nurturing care for early childhood development.
This guideline provides direction for strengthening policies and programmes to better address early childhood development.
One of the four key recommendations is “Supporting Maternal Mental Health”. Our director, Simone Honikman, is acknowledged for her peer review of this document.
Our resource directory is aimed at service providers and organisations offering counselling or psycho-social support services in the Cape Town region for vulnerable moms, dads and their families. Click on the image to download.
Support and service providers
- South African Helplines
- South African Depression & Anxiety Group (SADAG)
- Family & Marriage Association of South Africa (FAMSA)
- Cape Town Drug Counselling Centre
- South African National Council on Alcoholism & Drug Dependence (SANCA)
- Saartjie Baartman Centre for Women & Children
- LifeLine
- Mosaic Centre for Women
- Community Action towards a Safer Environment
- Cape Mental Health Society
- The Parent Centre
- Mothers2Mothers
- Visit the MOTHERISK website for information on the use of medication during pregnancy and other useful resources
- South African Federation for Mental Health
- ICAS wellness support for service providers and their dependents (Toll Free 0800 068 6858)
Bringing Light to Motherhood: Perinatal Mental Health Community Provider Toolkit
This toolkit, developed by Maternal Mental Health Now, is an easy-to-use resource geared toward any health care provider or caregiver that interacts with new moms and moms-to-be. With over 100 pages are full of tips and advice on the risk factors, symptoms, prevention, screening, intervention and treatment of perinatal depression and related mood disorders, the toolkit also provides handouts that providers can distribute to patients. Download the PDF or use the interactive toolkit online.
Issue briefs
- Breastfeeding and mental health
- Suicidal ideation during the perinatal period
- Maternal mental illness and child outcomes
- Mental illness among displaced, migrant and refugee women
- Alcohol and other drug use in pregnancy
- Adolescent pregnancy and mental health
- Antidepressant use during pregnancy
- HIV and maternal mental illness
- Maternal mental health services – intervention in gender-based violence and abuse
- The cost of maternal mental illness
Learning briefs
- Escaping the Inequality Trap: The case for supporting pregnant women • Open
- Digital Activism for maternal mental health • Open
- Nyamekela4Care: an on-site learning and support package for service providers • Open
- Domestic violence during pregnancy • Open
- Training for empathic engagement • Open
- Alcohol and other drug use among pregnant women in a peri-urban South African setting • Open
- Working together with the Department of Social Development: A case study from the PMHP • Open
- Working with government services: lessons from the PMHP • Open
- Achieve quality health care by caring for service providers • Open
- New approach to screening pregnant women for mental health disorders • Open
- Addressing the crisis of maternal mental illness among economically disadvantaged women • Open
PMHP Policy briefs
- Screening for Common Perinatal Mental Disorders in South Africa: The need, the research, the tool. Let’s do it. • Open
- Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) in South Africa: How to break the vicious cycle • Open
- Screening for common perinatal mental disorders in low-resource, primary care, antenatal settings in South Africa • Open
- Integrating maternal mental health into existing health and development programmes. • Open
- Integrating mental health into South Africa’s Primary Healthcare Re-engineering Plan. • Open
- Integrating mental health into maternal care in South Africa. • Open
- Maternal mental health: addressing key vulnerabilities. • Open
Other relevant policy briefs
- Maternal Mental Health – by Bernard van Leer Foundation • Open
Self-care for carers
The maternity setting can be a stressful environment. As a service provider, you may be faced with limited resources, staff shortages, long working hours and task overload.
This leaflet gives you a few easy examples of how to care for yourself and get the support you need.
Click on the image or download here.
Maternal Mental Health handbook
PMHP’s Maternal Mental Health Handbook (3rd Edition: 2013)
Click on the images below to download the relevant chapter or download the full version here
Contents & Foreword
Introduction
Maternal Care
Maternal Mental Illness
Screening
How to refer
How to help
Special Issues
Resources
Afterword
This directory aims to provide an overview of the care and support services to vulnerable and at-risk families in the Western Cape. |
This directory is not a complete and comprehensive reflection of all relevant sector entities working for victims of crime and violence in the Western Cape, but will be updated regularly.
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The PMHP’s Maternal Distress Tool was integrated into the standard Western Cape Department of Health Stationery. |
Click on the image to read or download the Department of Health, Provincial Mental Health Directory |
Standard Treatment Guidelines and Essential Medicines List for South Africa Hospital Level, Adults, 2019 Edition |
Multimedia resources
Videos
Empathic Engagement Skills training
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This training video demonstrates and models good empathic skills, through the use of real-world case scenarios. It also provides examples of how not to engage with mothers. An informal discussion-style of teaching is embedded in the film to enhance the viewers’ ability to engage with and critique the modelled skills as well as their own. |
Lindiwe is not alone!
Secret History Training – this training video is aimed at trainers who train service providers in empathic engagement skills and respectful care in the health and social environment.
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This training method is freely available for adaptation and use. If you wish to receive the Facilitators’ Guide please contact us at info@pmhp.za.org. |
Caring for mothers, caring for the future
| This video is based on Xolelwa’s story, this documentary takes you into the world of mothers with depression. Award-winning Director Simon Wood followed Xolelwa in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, where rates of postnatal depression are three times higher than in developed countries. |
You can find this and many more useful videos on our YouTube channel here or follow the links below
- “I felt like I am alone” watch Carol’s story here
- Perinatal Mental Health – why research is important watch
- Addressing mental health needs of service providers watch
- Perinatal Mental Health in South Africa watch
Radio
- Grow Great Seminar – POWER FM talk
Interview Simone Honikman by Aldrin Sampear
| 23 October 2019 | POWER talk with Aldrin Sampear - Helping depressed Moms – Metro FM Talk
Interview Liesl Hermanus by Kgopedi
| 18 October 2018 | METRO FM talk with Kgopedi - Mental Health Matters for Moms – Good News
Interview Liesl Hermanus by Koketso Sachane
| 06 June 2018 | The Koketso Sachane Show - The mental health of pregnant mothers in South Africa can be adversely affected due to food insecurity.
Interview Simone Honikman by Tim Modise
| 23 August 2017 | The Tim Modise Network - How social factors drive up suicide rates among pregnant women
Morning Talk interview Simone Honikman by Rowena Baird
| 01 February 2017 | SAFM Morning Talk - How social factors drive up suicide rates among pregnant women
Power-zone interview Simone Honikman by Thabo Mdluli
| 25 January 2017 | POWER FM987 - How social factors drive up suicide rates among pregnant women
Power-breakfast Interview Simone Honikman by Lawrence Tlhabane
| 23 January 2017 | POWER FM987 -
Understanding prenatal depression
567 CapeTalk Health &Wellness, interview with Pippa Hudson and Simone Honikman | 19 May 2016 | Cape Talk
- Maternal Mental Health matters
SAFM Otherwise, interview with Shado Twala and Simone Honikman | 03 May 2016 | IONO.FM
- 567 CapeTalk Health &Wellness, interview with Africa Melane and Simone Honikman | August 2014 | Soundcloud
- SAFM Health Matters interview with Karen Key interview and Simone Honikman | August 2014 | Soundcloud
TV
- Wellness for her – interview with Dr Simone Honikman | Cape Town TV | 2014
- New PMHP counselling service and research site at Hanover Park | Cape TV | 29 March 2012
- Great Expectations (Part 1) (Part 2) | eTV Baby Science | 8 March 2010
Centre of Perinatal Excellence
Providing a collection of resources supporting health professionals to provide best practice on their website.
RESPECT women: Preventing violence against women
Violence against women is a major public health problem rooted in gender inequality and is a gross violation of women’s human rights affecting the lives and health of millions of women and girls. Aiming to end violence against women, a package/framework with infographics on prevention of violence against women – RESPECT – Preventing violence against women: A framework for policymakers was developed, based on the UN framework for action to prevent violence against women from 2015 and updated new evidence.
- R –elationship skills strengthened
- E –mpowerment of women
- S –ervices ensured
- P –overty reduced
- E –nvironments made safe
- C –hild and adolescent abuse prevented
- T –ransformed attitudes, beliefs, and norms
See the full RESPECT women package on the WHO website.
Global Health Media Project
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Giving Good Care During Labor This film shows ways to help a labouring woman and contribute to a feeling of trust. The intended audience is frontline health workers in the developing world. Copyright © 2014, Global Health Media Project |
Together with the Western Cape Department of Health we developed this booklet for mothers and their carers.
Click on the image to download.
Together with the Western Cape Department of Health we developed this booklet for pregnant teenagers.
Click on the image to download.
This handbook is intended as a supplement to our training programme and as a resource to anyone involved with mothers and mothers-to-be. Click on the image to download.
This leaflet explains how you can deliver patient-centred care to mothers and babies. Click on the image to download.
This leaflet is intended to provide support to service providers “If you do not feel cared for, it can be very difficult to care for others.
