Help for Women with Post-natal Depression

Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong asked the Minister for Health (a) among women who had recently given birth, what is the percentage who develop post-natal depression; (b) what subsidised resources are available to women who are diagnosed with post-natal depression; and (c) whether the Ministry will make available free post-partum mental health screening and follow-up care for all Singaporean women regardless of where they have given birth.

A local study4 conducted by NUH found that the prevalence of maternal depression is about 12% antenatally, and 7% postnatally.

Most pregnant women are managed by the obstetricians during their pregnancy, who play a major role in identifying antenatal and postnatal depression symptoms both in the private and public sectors.

Since 2007, the KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH) and the National University Hospital (NUH) have been funded under the National Mental Health Blueprint to provide screening and early intervention for postnatal depression. The NUH Women's Emotional Health Service (WEHS) and KKH's Postnatal Depression Intervention Programme (PDIP) provide depression screening at two to eight weeks postpartum, at no charge, during outpatient postnatal review at the specialist clinics. Under the NUH WEHS, women are also screened antenatally at three time points – registration, trimester two, and trimester three. Both programmes accept patients referred from other hospitals, including private hospitals. Since 2007, both programmes have screened around 80,050 women, and 818 women were subsequently referred to and seen by psychiatrists for further follow up.

Women who are screened positive for depression would be managed by a multidisciplinary team comprising a psychiatrist, case manager and psychologist. The women and their family members will also be given useful contacts and information on managing their emotional health.

Both programmes also provide antenatal talks and classes open to women and their spouses, covering antenatal and postnatal depression, and on keeping emotionally well during and after pregnancy. Through various media platforms, KKH also raises public awareness on postnatal depression.

Patients who require outpatient treatment for major depression and anxiety can receive subsidies for their treatment at our public healthcare institutions. They can also tap on MediSave under the Chronic Disease Management Programme. Needy patients who cannot afford medical treatment can approach the medical social worker at the healthcare institutions for financial assistance.