“When I initially decided to share my story it was because I had just recovered and was reflecting back on my experience. I had no knowledge of perinatal mental illness and not a lot of knowledge on mental illness as I had no experience of it from either myself or anyone I knew. I couldn’t believe I had been so naive and felt strongly that more awareness needed raising and more people needed to know.

"Now, years later, it’s still very much the same reason I share it, and why I’ve become so involved in working to create change within the sector. So many mums I speak to are so scared to reach out for support but don’t think twice before asking for support with their physical health.

"I believe the way to make this easier is to share our stories so they know they aren’t alone and feel empowered to know support is out there and that there is the hope that they will get better. Lived experience is so key to getting that point across and I know when I’ve spoken at many events they have commented on how it is the lived experience talk that is the most impactful and why it’s so important to me that I keep doing them.”

“The groups were initiated through conversations with minoritised staff, reflecting on how to ensure learning on issues of race, while protecting minoritised staff from the secondary trauma this can cause.

"We created monthly reading groups (one for white staff and one for staff from minoritised ethnic backgrounds) that used the book ‘Me and White Supremacy’ a guided journal by Layla F. Saad on practitioners’ cultural competence and awareness.

"The goals were to increase all psychology clinicians’ awareness of the disparity and disadvantages faced by women of minority ethnic backgrounds. Further, to begin conversations and reflections which could increase cultural competence and subsequently clinicians’ confidence working with difference and diversity in their work. For our white clinicians we aimed to increase their ability to recognise their own privilege and biases when working with different cultures. For our minoritised staff group we hoped to create a supportive and safe space for non-white clinicians to discuss diversity issues, intersectionality and the impact of racism on their experiences.

"The group had a positive impact on willingness to engage and ethno-cultural empathy. The group was a safe space to discuss race and difference, created a sense of ownership and improved understanding of white privilege and its consequences and a better language to understand and discuss this. Staff wanted this work to continue, specifically: considering clinical implications of this learning. New groups have begun to examine cultural parenting and motherhood traditions, as well as case reflections.”

Dr Elizabeth Penny, Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation