The PMHP advocates for action towards maternal mental health care for all mothers
Our advocacy efforts aim to address the significant information gap by translating evidence-based research, disseminating our findings to a wide range of stakeholders and engaging with local and international change agents. We aim to support and inform the design of health policies, guidelines and programmes by working with policy makers, governmental agencies and global networks.
We aim to lead and participate in strategic advocacy campaigns and to use social and traditional media to inform and empower vulnerable women to demand and take up mental health services.
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
Policy briefs
- Screening for Common Perinatal Mental Disorders in South Africa: The need, the research, the tool. Let’s do it. Open | Research Poster | 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
Lessons learned
- The impact of perinatal mental health problems in South Africa • Open
- Digital Activism for maternal mental health • Open
- Nyamekela4Care: an on-site learning and support package for care providers • Open
- Domestic violence during pregnancy • Open
- Training for empathic engagement • Open
- Screening for perinatal depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation • Open
- Alcohol and other drug use among pregnant women • Open
- Working together with the Department of Social Development • Open
- Working with government services: lessons from the PMHP • Open
- Achieve quality health care by caring for health workers • 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 in the media
Print/online
- Perinatal mental health: Who’s checking in on the mums? | Health-E News | 18 July 2022
- Perinatal depression puts babies and parents – yes, dads too – at risk | The Times Live Premium | 3 July 2022
- Why SA women with postpartum depression go unhelped| Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism | 23 June 2022
- Supporting women with mental ill-health in pregnancy and after birth: lessons from SA | The Conversation | 20 June 2022
- Mental support for women during and after pregnancy: lessons from SA | The Times Live Premium | 20 June 2022
- Working for mothers’ mental health: two decades along the road | Cape Jewish Chronicle, page 22 | June 2022
- Working for mothers’ mental health: two decades along the road | Mensch | June 2022
- When mothers suffer, babies suffer. It’s time the world realized this, say maternal mental health experts | CNN | May 2022
- Handcrafted mosaic bench graces haven at Hanover Park clinic site | UCT News | 15 December 2021
- Liesl Hermanus dedicates Global Citizenship Award to ‘formidable’ team | UCT News | 06 December 2021
- Mothers’ support group marks a milestone | Athlone News | 06 December 2021
- Covid-19: Doctors want early vaccination for pregnant women | Times Live | 08 August 2021
- Digital interventions to address maternal and child health challenges | UCT News | 31 August 2020
- M4M: Providing vital info for mothers in the uncertain times of Covid-19 | Lead SA | 10 May 2020
- Platform helps young mothers struggling during pandemic | IT online | 8 May 2020
- Using the internet to reach vulnerable mothers | The Daily Maverick | 8 May 2020
- Platform launched to help young mothers struggling during Covid-19 | The Citizen Parenty | 6 May 2020
- Local NPO launches platform to help mothers struggling during Covid-19 | IOL News | 5 May 2020
- COVID-19: Help a click away for struggling young moms | UCT News | 04 May 2020
- Pregnant women and moms now have one-stop site for expert Covid-19 info | Times Live | 14 April 2020
- Hunger stalks adolescent mothers already under strain | Times Select | October 2019
- Mother’s little helpers | Your Pregnancy | October 2019
- The importance of mental health during pregnancy | Sensitive Midwifery Magazine Issue 43 | July 2019
- Moms who abandon babies ‘need compassion, not charges’| Times Live | July 2019
- Un nuevo sistema para tratar la depresión materna | EL PAIS | October 2018
- Screening to identify perinatal depression | The Nation Online | October 2018
- Screening to identify perinatal depression | The Hindu | October 2018
- Investigating violence against pregnant women in South Africa | Umthombo | October 2018
- The woman helping depressed moms break their silence | Beautiful News South Africa | October 2018
- Maternal Mental Health: A South African Story | Every Mother Counts | October 2018
- When being pregnant is brutal | City Press | September 2018
- Pregnant SA women suffer at hands of violent partners | Sunday Times | July 2018
- Violence on pregnant women: ‘common’ but definitely not ‘normal’ | Times Live | July 2018
- Africa launches battle to protect mom’s health | Sunday Times | June 2018
- Alliance to improve moms mental health | Cape Times | June 2018
- Drive to shine spotlight on #WorldMaternalMentalHealth | Cape Argus | May 2018
- #WorldMaternalMentalHealthDay: ‘I felt useless as a mother’ | IOL News | May 2018
- Prioritising the emotional well-being of mothers | IOL News | October 2017
- Sick link between hunger and mental health | Health-e News | October 2017
- How hunger affects the mental health of pregnant mothers | The Conversation | August 2017
- How social factors drive up suicide rates among pregnant women | The Conversation | January 2017
- What you need to know about depression during pregnancy | Living and Loving Magazine | November 2016
- Mission impossible? Replacing abuse with empathy | Daily Maverick | 21 August 2016
- Mental health a must for pregnant women | Cape Argus | 20 May 2016
- The arts in a traumatised nation | City Press | 16 May 2016
- Poor hit hardest by maternal mental illness | Cape Times | 05 May 2016
- Femicide: ‘Not enough done’ | Cape Times | 15 December 2015
- Pregnant women face abuse from health staff | Cape Argus | 2 April 2015
- 1.6 million club: promoting health of all women (pg 31-33) | WOW Western Cape on Wellness Magazine | March 2015
- Zephany: it’s complicated | Times Live | 03 March 2015
- HIV and maternal mental illness| HIV Nursing Matters | September 2014
- Focus on mental health ‘gap’| Cape Times | August 2014
- Common Perinatal Mental Disorders and HIV| HIV Nursing Matters | June 2014
- Mothers Day treat for pregnant women| Health-E | May 2014
- Cathartic| University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences Annual Newsletter | March 2013 (p29)
- Western Cape Department of Health Newsletter| Septermber 2012 (p4)
- Totsiens, my weggooikind| Die Burger | 2 June 2012
- New mental health counselling project for pregnant women| Weekend Argus | 17 March 2012
- Shot in the arm for women’s health | Athlone News | 21 March 2012
- Taken for granted (Editorial)| Cape Times | 6 February 2012
- Mothers in Distress| Nursing Update (Denosa) | February 2012
- Working for mental wellness| Impumelelo Women Making it Happen Series | 2012
- Nurses stressed, ill-treated, burdened. (PMHP op-ed) | Cape Times | 9 September 2011
- Why do we always blame the girls? (PMHP op-ed) | Cape Times | 19 April 2011
- Rebuilding the Village| Mail & Guardian | 25-31 March 2011
- Summit tackles dumped baby crisis| Cape Argus | November 2010
- Mental health in mothers | Sensitive Midwifery | November 2010
- Don’t forget about perinatal mental health | The Huffington Post | October 2010
- Prenatal depression poses big risks| Health-e News | 5 May 2010
- Colliding epidemics: HIV and maternal mental illness| Equal Treatment (Journal of the Treatment Action Campaign) | April 2010
- Case Study: Integrating mental health into maternal care| PMHP and Mental Health & Poverty Project, University of Cape Town | 2009
- Baby blues rampant among poor | Sunday Times | 8 February 2009
- Delivering hope in South Africa | The Huffington Post | 13 April 2008
- Impumelelo Award Winner 2005: Focus is on the mental health of mothers to boost child development | Annual Report | 2005
Radio
- SAFM
Interview with Simone Honikman by Cathy Mohlahlana
|20 July 2022 | Health Feature: National Fertility Week and Perinatal Health - CHAI FM
Interview with Simone Honikman by Charisse Zeifert
|03 June 2022 | The 20-year story of the PMHP - The Voice of the Cape
Interview with Liesl Hermanus by Ayesha Laatoe
|07 December 2020 | Does Post Natal Depression have an impact on breastfeeding - Cape Talk
Interview Simone Honikman by Africa Melane
| 10 May 2020 | M4M: Providing vital info for mothers in the uncertain times of Covid-19 - Voice of the Cape
Interview Simone Honikman by Goolam Fakier
| 07 May 2020 | - Smile FM
Interview Simone Honikman by Benito Vergotine
| 06 May 2020 | - HealthOMonday – SAFM The View Point
Interview Simone Honikman by Songezo Macebe
| 05 May 2020 | HealthOMonday - Grow Great Seminar – POWER FM talk
Interview Simone Honikman by Aldrin Sampear
| 23 October 2019 | POWER talk with Aldrin Sampear - More can be done to treat postnatal depression – SABC News
Interview Simone Honikman by Lerato Matlala
| 8 August 2019 | SABC Digital News - 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
- Poverty and trauma are main stressors for mental health problems during pregnancy
567 CapeTalk Health &Wellness, interview with Africa Melane and Simone Honikman
| 15 August 2014 | Soundcloud
- PMHP’s work with vulnerable women suffering from depression during pregnancy
SAFM Health Matters interview with Karen Key interview and Simone Honikman
| 19 August 2014 | Soundcloud
TV
- Improving Maternal Mental Health – interview with Simone Honikman | eNCA | 12 November 2022
- Mental Health – low income mothers at higher risk of suicide – interview with Simone Honikman | eNCA | 21 June 2022
- Beautiful News South Africa – interview with Liesl Hermanus | Beautiful News SA | March 2018
- Our City – interview with Liesl Hermanus | Cape Town TV | August 2017
- 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
Online footprint
- We Changers | part of this global platform for projects and organizations working to create a better world
- MaternalMHmatters | Task Team member | World Maternal Mental Health Awareness Day | May 2017 | Campaign poster
- WorldWideWomen | part of this global resource center for women and girls
- Dignity In Mind | Task Team member | World Mental Health Day, South Africa | October 2016
- MaternalMHmatters | Task Team member | World Maternal Mental Health Awareness Day | May 2016 | Infographic
- Dignity In Mind | Task Team member | World Mental Health Day, South Africa | October 2015
- Strategies for reducing and treating maternal mental health disorders | Maternal Health Task Force blog series | 24 September 2015
- Delivering Hope in South Africa |The Huffington Post| 2008
- Don’t forget about perinatal mental health, by Ruth Messinger | The Huffington Post | 2010
- Alan J Flisher Centre for Public Mental Health
- Programme for Improving Mental Health Care
- University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences
- University of Cape Town | 2012| 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008
- DFID | Research for Development
First 1000 days
The first 1000 days of a child (a period from conception to 2 years old) have been shown to provide a unique opportunity to shape healthier and prosperous futures. Science has shown that lifelong health is influenced by what happens in the earliest years of life.
The Right Start. Bright Future. campaign, initiated by the Western Cape Ministry of Health, is a holistic programme promoting the well-being of mothers and their babies, as well as the healthy development of infants in communities across the Western Cape province, South Africa.
The PMHP was actively involved in the development of some of the campaign materials.
We have recently published an article in the South African Medical Journal on Maternal mental health and the first 1 000 days
We are making the case for maternal mental health care during the First 1000 days: presentation
First 1000 days and maternal mental health from Perinatal Mental Health Project
- National Mental Health Policy Framework and Strategic Plan 2013-2020 – the PMHP contributed most of the maternal mental health elements of this document
- Integrating maternal mental health into existing health and development programme: a way to achieve goals of key South African policies – Policy Brief, outlining various policies which directly or indirectly refer to maternal mental health
- Standard Treatment Guidelines and Essential Medicines List (STG EML) for South Africa – the PMHP has recently contributed to substantive changes made to the ‘mental health conditions and substance misuse ‘chapter (Chapter 15) of the (Adult Hospital Level)
- The National Department of Health – Guidelines for Maternity Care in South Africa – the PMHP is currently developing a chapter for this guideline on mental health, due for update in 2020.
- PACK guidelines including Adult Primary Care, used nationally and PACK Western Cape Adult, predominantly used by nurses – the PMHP has been consulted to include mental health elements and include our validated screening tool
- Strategic Plan for Maternal, Newborn, Child and Women’s Health and Nutrition in South Africa 2012-2016 – the PMHP has been asked to consult in the process of adding mental health to the new National Maternal and Neonatal Health Policy
- Western Cape Maternity Case Records – this new maternity stationery now includes several mental health elements including PMHP-developed and validated screening tool
PMHP global collaborations/ contributions
- Invited member of Advisory Planning Committee to USAID-supported MOMENTUM Country and Global Leadership project, in collaboration with WHO and UNFPA for: Giving Voice to the Silent Burden: Maternal Mental Health Technical Consultation, September 2021
- Invited peer reviewer of Improving Early Childhood Development: WHO Guideline (2020)
- Lead collaborator with WHO for development of WHO operational manual for integrating mental health care into maternal and child health services (2019 – ongoing)
- Steering group member of the Global Alliance for Maternal Mental Health (2017- present)
- Founding member of the African Alliance for Maternal Mental Health (2017-present)
- Task team member of World Maternal Mental Health Day campaign (2016- present)
- Steering group member of World Psychiatric Association ‘Perinatal mental health position statement’ (2017 and 2022)
- Invited contribution to the WHO Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) Operations Manual (2017)
- Invited contribution to the mhGAP Intervention Guide, World Health Organisation (2010)
South African health policies and guidelines influenced by PMHP
National collaborations/ contributions
- Invited by National Department of Health (NDOH) to lead the writing of a chapter on psychosocial health for update of COVID-19 Guidelines for Maternal Neonatal and Child Health (2021)
- Invited by NDOH to support implementation of new South African Maternal, Perinatal and Neonatal Health Policy – mental health and respectful care components (2021-2023)
- Develop and write guideline documents following from the policy
- Develop multimedia training packages to support uptake of the guidelines
- Invited by NDOH Essential Drugs Programme to
- integrate mental health into Standard Treatment Guidelines obstetrics chapters in Adult Hospital Care and Primary Health Clinic care (2021)
- integrate maternal mental health into mental health chapter of Standard Treatment Guidelines for Adult Hospital Care (2020)
- Invited by health economists working for NDOH and Treasury Mental Health Investment Case to contribute to maternal mental health components 2021
- Invited by Western Cape Department of Health to contribute to a COVID vaccine guide for health workers in maternity care. Led the section (and garnered peer review) on how to build vaccine confidence. Building vaccine confidence for the COVID-19 Vaccine
- Developing the economic case for improving maternal mental health in South Africa Senior collaborator for South African component of Global Economics in Perinatal Mental Health Project (GEMMH) project lead by the Care Policy and Evaluation Centre (CPEC) at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) in collaboration with national and global researchers and practitioners active in this field (2020-2021)
- Invited by NDOH to contribute to update of National Maternal Perinatal and Neonatal Health Policy (2020-2021)
- Invited by Medical Research Council to contribute to NDOH’s ‘National Framework and Guidelines for Maternal and Neonatal Care during a crisis: COVID-19 response’ plus development of appendices (Messaging and Psychosocial care), plus associated on-line training pack on this for healthworkers (2020)
- Invited member to NDOH expert committee for Adult Standard Treatment Guidelines 2019-2020
- Contribution to University of Cape Town’s Knowledge Translation Unit’s PALSA PLUS and PC101 and PACK (Practical Approach to Care Kit) evidence-based primary health care guidelines, adopted nationally in 2013, updated 2016 and 2018; In 2018, member of Clinical Working Group for new guidelines, PACK Community Health Worker
- National maternity care stationery (Maternity Case Record) now includes several mental health elements including PMHP-developed and validated screening tool
- Invited contribution to Mental Health Policy Framework and Action Plan for South Africa 2013-2020
- Invited contribution to University of Cape Town’s Knowledge Translation Unit’s evidence-based primary health care PACK and APC guidelines for professional health and for community health workers (2017-2019)
- Contribution to the draft of the National Strategic Plan for HIV/AIDS through the Children’s Sector and the Persons Living with HIV Sector (2011)
- Contribution to three guideline documents for the NDOH’s Directorate of Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (2010)
Provincial (Western Cape) collaborations/ contributions
- The Parent, Infant and Child Health (PICH) working group (2016- 2019)
- Member of the Western Cape Government First 1000 days Community Based Services working group (2017-2019)
- Task team member for adapting for Western Cape the National Mental Health Policy Framework and Action Plan for South Africa 2013-2020
- Member of Patient-Centred Maternity Care task team, Department of Health, Western Cape; including author of The Patient-Centred Maternity Care Code and associated materials for dissemination to clients and staff (2012-2015)
- Contribution to Antenatal and Postnatal Care Policy of Western Cape (2012-2014) – adopted 2016, for updating 2020