Mental health conditions arising during pregnancy and the postpartum period represent a significant and frequently under-recognized challenge with consequences for both maternal wellbeing and infant development. The World Federation for Mental Health calls for the systematic integration of perinatal mental health screening and care into maternal and child health services globally — recognizing that the failure to act on available evidence causes lasting harm to individuals, families, and communities.
Estimates published in The Lancet Global Health (Woody et al., 2017) indicate that approximately 10% of pregnant women and 13% of postpartum women globally experience a mental disorder, most commonly depression. In low- and middle-income countries, these rates may reach 15 to 20%, compounded by poverty, poor nutrition, limited social support, and inadequate health infrastructure.
Untreated perinatal depression is linked to adverse infant outcomes, including impaired cognitive and emotional development, low birth weight, and disrupted caregiver-infant bonding. Research published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry (Murray et al., 2010) documented that infants of mothers with postnatal depression face elevated risk for behavioural problems and cognitive difficulties in later childhood — consequences that extend across the lifespan.
The World Federation for Mental Health supports universal perinatal mental health screening using validated tools such as the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), which has been evaluated across diverse cultural contexts. Screening alone is insufficient: WFMH calls for clear, resourced care pathways linking positive screens to timely clinical assessment and evidence-based intervention.
Paternal perinatal mental health also requires urgent attention. Evidence indicates that approximately 8 to 10% of fathers experience depression in the perinatal period (Paulson and Bazemore, Pediatrics, 2010). The World Federation for Mental Health advocates for screening and support programs inclusive of all primary caregivers, reflecting the full reality of infant caregiving environments in diverse family structures worldwide.