Question reference: S4W-30398
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 7 March 2016
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Current status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 21 March 2016
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what work it is carrying out to develop the evidence base around psychological antenatal interventions for vulnerable expectant mothers, and to incorporate the learning from this into practice.
Answer
There is a strong existing evidence base around psychological antenatal interventions for vulnerable expectant mothers. Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network 127 guidelines cover the management of perinatal mood disorders:
http://www.sign.ac.uk/pdf/sign127.pdf.
National Institute for Care and Health Excellence quality standard 115 contains detailed information about a range of antenatal and postnatal mental health issues:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/qs115/chapter/related-nice-quality-standards.
The NHS's guide to delivering evidence-based psychological therapies in Scotland also contains guidance on antenatal care that can be provided for certain mental health issues, in particular regarding alcohol problems:
http://www.evidenceintopractice.scot.nhs.uk/media/131943/nes-matrix.pdf.
I want to ensure that services are providing interventions and treatment that reflects the evidence base. The importance of early interventions for early years is a theme that is being developed as part of our ongoing engagement on the next mental health strategy.