Czech Republic: Pioneering postnatal support project for families at psychosocial risk wins award

In the maternity ward of the Thomayer University Hospital in Prague, the psychological state of mothers has been monitored for six years. So far, more than 23,000 women have completed the European project questionnaire, Early Help for Families at Psychosocial Risk, and 18% have accepted psychological follow-up or social support.

At the end of the form they are asked if they would like support. If they say yes, they can rely on help from professionals starting from four sessions to up to a year of follow-up care. Lenka Cejpková, head of nursing at the maternity ward of Thomayer University Hospital in Prague, explains that each mother "is offered a questionnaire with a dozen questions, which allows us to assess her mental health. Three minutes after sending it off, you receive an evaluation by email. You also receive feedback and the telephone numbers and email addresses of psychologists or psychiatrists".

Lucie Vostrovská, who recently gave birth, may be discharged today, but beforehand the midwife has given her a questionnaire with a set of questions. They are about "how I feel, what my emotions are after giving birth, what I felt during the birth and if I feel okay now or if I have a problem and need advice or some kind of help. Now I know that if I have a problem, I can tell someone about it. The problem may be something related to me, the baby or our mental well-being”, she explains.

The tablet is offered to every woman on the floor. Thirty-seven hospitals with maternity services in the Czech Republic have joined the project. In 15 of them, such as at Thomayer University Hospital, the intervention of mental health care coordinators or social workers can be face-to-face. The total budget for this project is €97,301 and has been fully funded by the Employment Plus programme of the European Union's Cohesion Policy.

Postnatal support, tailored to mothers

The idea was conceived at NUDZ/NIMH, the National Institute of Mental Health in Klecany. Women who would like follow-up care receive four free consultations with professionals such as Adéla Janovska, who is a psychosocial coordinator. Support is usually provided by telephone at a time that is convenient for the mother. The duration of the consultation varies. Adéla Janovska comments, “It's usually about breastfeeding, about childbirth. Also, any economic problems they may have. Their lifestyle has changed and there may be difficulties now, postpartum.” She adds that there have also been cases of "women who were contacted during the period after childbirth who were suffering from domestic violence".

In some cases, coordinators may refer help to other professionals based in the area where the woman lives, and particularly if the follow-up needs to be continued. Consultations are available up to the end of the baby's first year.

According to Adéla Janovska, "From the calls I have handled personally, I think mothers can feel very embarrassed and are not very informed about what it can be like postpartum. They don't know that it's exhausting, that they can have days when they can’t stop crying but also days when they feel happy, that it's a rollercoaster of emotions and feelings, and that this is normal. And I would also say that there is a lot of social pressure about how romantic and how beautiful that whole period should be, but most of the time it is not. It can be very lovely, but it can also be very difficult and exhausting, depending on a variety of factors, such as not getting enough sleep or not having the family support they might need."

Natália has been able to benefit from this free service. "I didn't feel well right after giving birth and I felt like I couldn't cope with everything. That's why I filled in the questionnaire, it was a lifeline. I don’t see any reason why anyone should be embarrassed or not use this service if they need it," she concludes.

The project has received a REGIOSTARS Award Europe’s label of excellence for EU-funded projects.