Item - 2017.HL19.6

The Board of Health received the item for information.

Perinatal Mood Disorders (PMD) are a serious mental health issue for women and are  considered to be the most common complication of pregnancy and the postpartum period. Negative short and long-term impacts on the mother, her partner, her children and family represent a considerable public health problem (Ross, Dennis, Robertson Blackmore & Stewart, 2005). Recently, the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) issued a position statement calling for an improved worldwide focus on perinatal mental healthcare (WPA, 2017). In Ontario, the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care (MOHLTC) convened the Healthy Human Development Table (HHDT) to bring a range of public health sector representatives together with other partners and experts to address parental mental health to support healthy child development. Perinatal mental health is the current focus of the HHDT (Public Health Ontario (PHO), 2016a).

Women's mental health during the perinatal period is an integral part of health and well-being. The perinatal period has been defined as the time spanning conception to one year postpartum, highlighting the importance of women's mental health during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum (WPA, 2017). During this time women may experience mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety and psychosis, impacting their ability to function as a mother and partner, with profound long-term negative consequences for infant and family outcomes. Collectively these have been referred to as PMD. Approximately 20% of women will experience PMD, impacting 28,000 women in Ontario each year. As such, PMD is a major public health concern for the entire family (HHDT, 2016). The evidence documenting economic costs of untreated and/or undiagnosed PMD in the US, Australia and the UK are alarming, adding to the significant disease burden (HHDT, 2016).

The purpose of this report is to raise awareness of the issue of PMD and provide an update on the programs and services provided by Toronto Public Health to address this important health issue.