Question Period Note: Perinatal Mental Health

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• Our Government is committed to promoting maternal and child health. This includes funding for programs that support the mental health of pregnant and postpartum individuals during the perinatal period.

• The Public Health Agency of Canada makes significant investments to support perinatal mental health through programs aimed at improving community-level access to supports for prenatal and recently postpartum women, new parents and young children facing inequities.

• The Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program provides $26.5 million annually to improve the health of at-risk pregnant individuals, with a focus on mental health, nutrition, and the promotion of positive health behaviours during pregnancy.

• Through this Program, the Agency provides funding for 236 projects serving over 45,000 pregnant people, parents and caregivers across Canada each year.

• Additionally, the Agency supports the development of resources such as the Mothers’ Mental Health Toolkit and the guidance document Your Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy, which promote the positive mental health of pregnant individuals.

The perinatal period includes both pregnancy and the postpartum period. Perinatal mental health is a state of well-being in which a pregnant or postpartum person realizes their own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life and work productively, care for themselves and their newborn, and is able to make a contribution to their community and society.

Perinatal mental illness refers to mental health conditions experienced “around” pregnancy. This includes pre-existing mental health conditions, but can also refer to new or different mental health concerns arising around this period.

Maternal stress, anxiety and depression are significant public health issues, increasing the risk of poor mental and physical health outcomes for mothers along with potential impacts for children and families. Maternal deaths with a mental health component, by suicide or drug toxicity, are increasingly recognized as making up a significant proportion of all maternal deaths.

In recent years, some stakeholders have called for greater federal action in the area of perinatal mental health. On May 13, 2020, the citizens of Canada brought forward a petition to create a national perinatal mental health strategy that would provide direction, policy, and funding to develop specialized, comprehensive perinatal mental health care services. This includes universal screening and timely access to treatment for all people during pregnancy and the postpartum period.

On May 5, 2021 (World Maternal Mental Health Day), various MP’s offices sent a request to the former Minister of Health’s Office on behalf of their constituents regarding a National Perinatal Mental Health Strategy. This Motion was brought forward by MP Heather McPherson (Edmonton-Strathcona).

On June 3, 2021, MP Don Davies (Vancouver-Kingsway) put forward Bill C-306, which calls for a National Perinatal Mental Health Strategy that includes mental health screening and treatment services during the full perinatal period. This Bill died on the order paper when Parliament was dissolved in August 2021.

Perinatal Surveillance

The Public Health Agency of Canada’s (PHAC) Canadian Perinatal Surveillance System monitors and reports on maternal, fetal and infant health determinants and outcomes while conducting targeted epidemiological research to address emerging issues. This program has focused largely on indicators of physical health, some of which can be associated with maternal mental health (e.g., fetal/infant mortality, maternal chronic diseases, smoking, and alcohol use during pregnancy). However, formal indicators concerning risk and protective factors for maternal mental health have yet to be established, as there are presently no routine national sources of data on maternal mental health or maternal access to/use of mental health services.

PHAC Policy and Program Activities

The Health Portfolio undertakes a number of activities to promote maternal and child health, which includes supporting positive maternal mental health during the perinatal periods. PHAC makes significant investments to support perinatal mental health through programs aimed at improving community-level access to supports for prenatal and recently postpartum women, new parents and young children facing health inequities. In particular, the Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program provides $26.5 million annually to improve the health of at-risk pregnant individuals, with a focus on mental health, nutrition, and the promotion of positive health behaviours during pregnancy. Through 236 funded projects, the Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program serves more than 45,000 participants across Canada each year.

PHAC also supports the development of several resources promoting the positive mental health of pregnant individuals. These resources provide guidance and advice for both healthcare professionals and individuals that may face poor mental health during the perinatal period, including Family-Centred Maternity and Newborn Care National Guidelines; the Mothers’ Mental Health Toolkit; and the guidance document ‘Your Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy’.

To provide rapid support for new parents during the COVID-19 pandemic, Health Canada and PHAC have recently developed resources to support the mental health of those who are expecting or who have recently had a baby.

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