Suicide remains the leading cause of maternal death in the year after childbirth

[IwantToRetire]

The report, published by the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) and co-founded by the British Psychological Society, estimates around 130,000 women each year experience mental health problems during pregnancy or within a year of giving birth.

130,000 women roughly equates to one in four.

Researchers warn that without urgent support, mental health problems can disrupt mother-infant bonding and increase the risk of emotional, behavioural and cognitive difficulties in children that may persist into adolescence.

According to the findings, suicide is the leading cause of death between six weeks and one year after pregnancy. Between 2021 and 2023, one in three women who died from mental health-related causes had received the recommended care, suggesting existing systems are not sufficient.

The research also points to clear inequalities. Black women and those from minority ethnic backgrounds are less likely to be asked about their mental health or to receive support. What’s more, women living in more deprived are less likely to experience these problems than those in wealthier areas.

Full article https://socialcare.today/2026/04/23/suicide-remains-leading-maternal-death-cause-report-warns/

Hmm - a quick internet search says large studies show a reduced rate of completed suicide in the post-partum period compared to women of the same age. ONS data shows a rate in women of 5-6 per 100 000, compared to rate in post-partum women of 3-4 per 100 000 (MBRRACE figures). All tragedies and more resources are needed generally, but journalists claiming that completed suicide is more likely to affect new mothers just isn't true.

The fact that it's the commonest cause of death reflects the fact that young women are unlikely to die generally - and other causes of death will be highly varied (some cancer, some RTC, some blood clots etc - so lots of categories with small numbers in each).

Thank you, thats useful information.

Why this need to dismiss this issue, by comparing to other groups / grouping.

This seems to be a trend now on FWR dismissing information about problems or worse that women are experiencing.

Can you not get your head around the report being about a specific group of women ie those who in the past year have given birth.

That is the issue.

Its not a comparative study.

Do you care so little about other women that you think none of us should worry about the fact that some women within a year of giving birth are committing suicide.

This seems to be a new feminism emerging on this forum.

Oh if it is only a small group of women we shouldn't be concerned or bother to think about them.

Offering accurate and relevant stats is not 'dismissal'. It provides useful context.

Your other assertions are offensive strawman.

I think the way we treat new mothers in this country is shocking. Noisy wards and unhelpful staff mean that the average woman leaves hospital in a state of shocked exhaustion desperate for sleep. Really it’s the time that we should be offering the most support instead your launched into parenting on the back foot.

I really like the Dutch system where you have a helpful lady come to your house for ten days or do to help you establish feeding, help out with chores/ food prep / let the mother sleep and shower.

Statistics apart, I think it is very difficult for new mothers ( and fathers) in our modern age in which it is common for them to be alone, with no other family or friends living in the house to help out.

Sleep deprivation, not enough food while breast feeding, etc and possibly other children to look after, could drive anyone mad.

I still can’t believe that, for years, we’ve been diagnosing loads of women with PND when they’re actually suffering reactive depression caused by a huge life change, sleep deprivation and loss of freedom having a child brings.

Basically, it’s mass gaslighting.

Exactly.

What’s more, women living in more deprived are less likely to experience these problems than those in wealthier areas

I believe this statement is a misprint and it should be the other way round.

The stats in the article come from a very in depth report by MBRRACE

https://www.npeu.ox.ac.uk/mbrrace-uk/reports/maternal-reports/maternal-report-2021-2023

Thanks for that. I read the article and now that you have pointed this out it must be wrong.

I read it and in my head changed to more rather than less.

Not sure how influential Social Care Today is, but wonder if they should be emailed?

It's not 'gaslighting' to ask a sensible question - are rates of completed suicide higher in women in the year after having a baby? No, they are actually lower, but there are major variations by socioeconomic status. So if we want to reduce suicide rates, focusing resources on middle class post-partum women is not likely to be effective. Focusing on high risk women (pre-existing mental health problems, drug & alcohol problems, living in poverty) is a more effective use of limited resources.

It's also very unhelpful to inaccurately claim a group has an increased risk of completed suicide, and may actually have a negative impact on mental health in that group.

Or it is just the usual whatabouterry.

It is more than legitimate to focus on a group with a common factor, ie the year after births, because that is specific set of circumstances.

And the article acknowledges that those with existing disadvantages are referred to.

So is it just possible to talk about this group.

If you want a wide ranging discussion about post birth health consequences for women you could collate all the information about the impact on women from whatever period after birth - eg to 16 years later, 18? 21? and create an OP.

PND is different from reactive depression. Hormones in pregnancy and post partum are wild. It's possible for women to suffer both at the same time, I'm sure, but clarity and a proper diagnosis will be much more useful than blurring both into one.

Absolutely.

The article is based on this Parliamentary report https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/POST-PN-0765/POST-PN-0765.pdf

I’ve had a baby in Britain and a baby abroad and they do a hell of a lot more for mental health in Britain than a lot of other places. The home visits are amazing practise and the health visitor model is good. The mother and baby units are good. The mental health screening is good.

the problem is there is no money when there are problems. So you have this amazing screening and crap follow through. But it is a lot better than other countries.

Completely agree. Suicide is the leading cause of death for women aged 20-34, whether they’ve recently given birth or not.

It’s insane to say that pointing out that post partum women have lower rates of suicide is dismissive, rather than just factual. And I say that as someone who very very nearly took my own life with PND.