Mental health

Black mothers across most of England lack targeted maternal mental health support despite facing higher risks during and after pregnancy, a report has found. The analysis found a patchwork of provision across England, with inconsistent data, funding and support for Black women. The vast majority of Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) do not commission services specifically [...]

AI-powered journaling app Véa is supporting mental health by helping women to understand their thoughts, triggers and behavioural patterns.  Winner of the Brain and Mental Health Innovation Award at this year’s Femtech World Awards, Véa is designed to address the emotional gap in women's health technology. The journal - which has been built by a [...]

Women entering pregnancy with multiple long-term health conditions face higher risks of miscarriage and other complications, a UK study found. Those with two or more pre-existing physical or mental health conditions had a 20 per cent higher risk of miscarriage than women with no long-term conditions. They also had more than twice the risk of [...]

Women with childbirth-related PTSD had healthcare costs 2.5 times higher than women without PTSD from six to 12 months after birth, a report found. The analysis estimated that early prevention of traumatic births and childbirth-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) could save the NHS around £26m each year. Women with PTSD were also less likely to [...]

Young women are more likely than young men to get health and wellness information from social media influencers, a US survey has found. Among adults aged 18 to 29, 57 per cent of women said they received health and wellness information from influencers, compared with 47 per cent of men. The Pew Research Center study [...]

A new UK study aims to improve maternity care for pregnant women living with multiple long-term health conditions. The three-year project, led by the University of Aberdeen and Birmingham City University, brings together experts from academia and the NHS, including King’s College London, the University of Birmingham, Manchester University, Barts Health NHS Trust, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NHS [...]

Prepared for Femtech World by Dr Emilė Radytė, neuroscientist and co-founder and CEO of Samphire Neuroscience The short answer Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) does not usually result from abnormal hormone levels. Research suggests that the brain can respond differently to expected changes in estrogen, progesterone, and the progesterone metabolite allopregnanolone. This helps explain why blood [...]

Thousands of UK women develop undiagnosed PTSD after childbirth each year, with at least 15,000 cases going undetected, researchers say. The true number could be double that or more, according to an evidence review of childbirth-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD can involve symptoms including nightmares, flashbacks, anxiety and persistent negative thoughts. Research estimates suggest [...]

Women entering pregnancy with multiple conditions face a 20 per cent higher miscarriage risk and around four times the risk of anxiety and depression, new research has revealed. The observational study found women with two or more pre-existing long-term physical or mental health conditions also had a 69 per cent higher risk of severe nausea [...]

Women later diagnosed with endometriosis used more antidepressant and anxiety medication than other women, with the pattern emerging years before diagnosis, recent study found. The difference was evident up to 10 years before diagnosis and continued for a decade afterwards, according to a large Danish registry-based study involving 136,842 women. Women with the condition also [...]