Tackling stigma in mental health care for Black mothers
Black Maternal Mental Health Week (23 to 29 September) focuses on the mental wellbeing of Black mothers and their children and addresses the disparities in care they face.
Research shows Black women in the UK are four times more likely to die during pregnancy and childbirth compared to white women.
They are also more likely to experience perinatal mental health issues but less likely to receive support.
Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT) is working to make sure everyone receives the care they need, and that we listen to our patients to understand their unique experiences so we can personalise treatment and support to meet their needs.
Our perinatal mental health services have links with several organisations across Essex who support mothers and their families of Black, African and Caribbean heritage.
One of those is B3 - Bumps, Birth and Belonging Community Interest Company, based in Thurrock, which was set up by midwife and mum-of-four Nicole Lawal in response to the physical and mental health inequalities faced by Black women and their babies.
Nicole said: “B3 is tackling the stigma surrounding mental health in the Black community by offering free, accessible counselling services.
“We ensure that mothers feel a part of the community they live in without feeling judged or ostracised.
“We offer vital support to mothers dealing with postpartum depression, anxiety, and other mental health challenges.”
Nicole said there is a lot of fear about perinatal mental health services because women are concerned about what will happen to them and how they will be judged as a mum.
“There are definitely visions of people in strait jackets or solitary confinement, that is the vision that mums have, but I tell them it’s really not like that,” she said.
Nicole said many of the women she helps identify with the findings of a 2010 study in which researchers said African-American women feel obligated to present an image of being strong and prioritising looking after their families and community over looking after themselves.
Taking on a ‘superwoman role’ contributes to stress and health issues, including untreated depression, according to the study, Superwoman Schema: African American women’s Views on Stress, Strength and Health, led by Professor Cheryl Woods-Giscombé.
Racial discrimination and historical racism contribute to why the women who took part in the study took on the superwoman role.
Nicole said it took a while before anyone took up the offer of counselling from B3 because there was a stigma around asking for help.
However mums have since said counselling, as well as speaking with other mums in the group, has helped them realise they are not alone.
B3 also supports mums with situations such as financial hardship, domestic violence and visa issues, which also have a deep impact but they find difficult talking about.
Nicole said: “By making mental health care readily available and destigmatising it within the community, we are helping mothers prioritise their well-being.
“For many mothers, particularly new ones, motherhood can bring about anxiety and feelings of isolation.
“We help alleviate this by providing consistent, accessible support both in person and online, and organising group walks and lunches to encourage mothers to get out of the house and engage with others in a relaxed, judgment-free environment.”
The riots and disorder in the UK during the summer highlighted the racism that non-white communities face and Nicole said it heightened the anxiety that mums at B3 felt.
“We were just too scared to take our babies out. As Black mothers, we didn’t want to be a target,” she said.
“That fear still and always will exist as the people who took part in the disorder or have racist views are walking past us every day or rubbing shoulders with us at work or on the train. We cannot identify them, so we are always in a state of fight, flight or freeze.”
While those violent events have passed, the mothers continue to feel the impact and ongoing support is just as important now as it was then.
Nicole said: “Having a support system has allowed mothers to step out of their comfort zones and build the confidence they need to navigate both motherhood and life’s challenges.”
In feedback given to B3, one mum said: “It's not just about being a mum and being from our community, but actually, there's support in many different ways - whether it's encouragement or whatever that may be."
Another said: “The fragility of mental health during motherhood is something only other mothers can truly understand. Sharing has provided comfort.”
Caroline Bogle, Associate Director for Community Perinatal Mental Health Services at EPUT, said: “Our colleagues in Perinatal Mental Health Services really believe in the help we offer and many have their own lived experience of struggling as a new parent.
“Providing compassionate and individualised care and support for new and expectant mums is at the heart of the our services and it’s so important that new mums from Black, African and Caribbean heritage who are struggling feel comfortable to reach out for help so that they and their families can benefit from getting the right support in the same way as people who don’t face the same fears and barriers to care.”
Black Maternal Mental Health Week is organised by The Motherhood Group and this year’s campaign theme is Transforming and Advancing Change and highlights five key areas:
- Understanding disparities
- Breaking stigma
- Addressing birth trauma
- Nurturing child mental health, and
- Building support networks
For more information, visit The Motherhood Group.
Support for Black mums and their families in Essex
There are a number of organisations who provide help and support for parents.
B3 - Bumps, Birth and Belonging Community Interest Company has an experienced, trained team of experts by experience to support Black mums through pregnancy and the early postnatal period.
They hold mum and baby groups at Stifford Family Hub and Tilbury Family Hub, and also offer counselling and other activities for parents to meet and talk. B3 will begin evening twilight sessions from October 18 at Marisco Hall, Chadwell St Mary, for those who can't get to the daytime sessions.
Look for ‘b3_community’ on Instagram and ‘B3 Bumps, Birth and Belonging – Community’ on Facebook
African Families in the UK (AFiUK) supports African and other racially minoritsed families living in the UK. They provide information and support on a range of matters, including mental health, healthy family relationships, wellbeing, parenting and activities for children.
Search for ‘afiuk’ on Facebook and Instagram.
Welcome to the UK supports families from overseas who have moved to Southend and Grays to help tackle isolation and help them settle into their local communities.
Refugee, Asylum Seeker and Migrant Action (RAMA) help refugees, asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants living in north Essex.
They work with numerous organisations including NHS services, local councils and charities to ensure people receive the support they need.
More support for families
EPUT’s Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Service is one of the largest specialist community perinatal mental health services in the country. It has worked collaboratively with health and care partners to provide care for more than 2,700 families this year.
The service is made up of professionals who specialise in perinatal adult and infant mental health, and provide compassionate support for mums, mums-to-be and their families.
The service is available to women and birthing parents who need specialist support during pregnancy and up to baby’s first birthday. However, it also supports some families for longer, depending on individual circumstances.
It has partnered with Parents 1st, who offer peer support via the Essex Peer to Parent Network.
Their peer supporters are local parents who know the ups and downs of having a family and are trained to support other parents to feel confident and prepared.
And By Your Side is a specialist psychological and therapeutic service for perinatal loss in Essex and supports people who have experienced a miscarriage, still birth, neonatal death or planned termination.