Helpline aims to ease mums' baby blues

Published on Friday 6 June 2008 10:46

SCOTLAND'S first helpline for mothers suffering post-natal depression will be launched in Edinburgh today.

The telephone hotline, which will operate from the ParentLine Scotland call centre in the Capital, is a joint initiative by the Church of Scotland's social care arm, Crossreach, and charity Children 1st.

It will provide a Scotland-wide advice service for sufferers of postnatal depression.

Today's launch of the helpline, known as Bluebell at ParentLine Scotland, was timed to coincide with national awareness-raising day for post-natal depression.

Viv Dickenson, one of the organisers, said: "Support for families struggling with post-natal depression has been patchy. The helpline will be an invaluable resource operating in addition to existing services run by the NHS and voluntary organisations.

"It is often not just a new mum that suffers – research shows fathers often become depressed after childbirth too or don't know what to do when their partner becomes depressed when everyone expects them to be happy."