Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Post natal depression affects between 10 and 15 women per 100 births. Post partum psychosis affects up to 2 women out of every 1,000 births. To give you some benchmark, Leeds alone has a birth population of 10,000 - 11,000 per year. The severity and the combination of symptoms vary for each woman and therefore  treatment is a very individualised thing. At it's worst, post natal mental illness is life threatening. Midwives, Obstetricians, health visitors, primary care counsellors and specialist perinatal mental health services such as the ones my colleagues and I work in, are all working hard to provide the appropriate care for women, their infants, their partners and extended families at a challenging time in their lives. APP is a charity that works to provide additional support to those suffering from post natal mental illness and their families. Women with lived experience of this cruel illness, give their time to support other mothers and we professionals hand out leaflets provided by APP offering advice and support to supplement the work we do. APP have supported and advised on policy and service development to improve access to services for families. They continue to support us in trying to increase awareness and reduce the stigma of post natal mental illness. Stigma and guilt are the biggest barriers to women accessing support. Please give what little you can. It all helps. Thank you so much. Deborah