29 May Maternity and perinatal mental heath theme go journalling
Home › News & insights › Latest news
7 November 2023
Maternity and perinatal mental health theme go journalling
Maternity and perinatal mental health theme researchers and Public Involvement Network members took part in training in how to use Maternal Journalling as a participatory methodology in September.
Funded by KERN (King’s Engaged Researcher Network), Maternal Journal is ‘an award-winning global community movement that uses creative journaling to boost wellbeing in pregnancy, birth and parenthood’. They also offer a diverse parenting podcast series.
A bespoke online session was organised with Laura Godfrey-Isaacs as trainer. The group of mothers, peer researchers and researchers was made up of 12 people who already knew each other. There are also many free-to-access sessions available that anyone with relevant interests may apply to attend.
As well as learning about the practicalities of setting up and running a structured workshop — online or face-to-face — using one or more of the many mini-guides on the website, the group were guided through doing a journalling and drawing session themselves.
Each participant drew around their hand, then added words and decorations to illustrate what their hands do for them in their lives.
What participants said
“The simple guide made it possible for me to move past feeling worried about ‘creating’ something and I found the experience enjoyable and affirming. It was moving to do this together and hear other members of the group describe their drawings. It was an excellent opportunity to gain an understanding of this approach, so we can think together about how we could use this in participatory work in the future.”
Participant, Maternal Journalling session
“I found the session incredibly moving and cathartic, but also lots of fun. Maternal Journalling is such a useful tool for bringing women together to help process their emotions and share their parenting journeys, and in doing so, provide collective peer support. I can see it offering something to all new mothers, not only women experiencing perinatal mental health issues.”
Researcher and mother
“As a non-native English speaker I understand how difficult it is to express oneself freely and efficiently when the only means is language. That is why using other means of communication, such as photography, or the liberty of playing around with words in a non-conventional way can be truly liberating and much more effective.”
Mother and Public Involvement Network member, researcher
Artwork by Sarah Fisher. Shared with permission.
[Vita reflected on the value of non-verbal, creative expression for those who may find language a barrier — sharing the sense of liberation that comes from drawing and playing with words in a non-conventional way.]
Vita MoltedoMother, peer researcher and ARC South London Public Research Panel member
Artwork by Vita Moltedo. Shared with permission.
Acknowledgement: Thank you to Sarah Fisher and Vita Moltedo for agreeing to share their artwork.
Related content
- →
MORE — Tackling inequalities in maternity care (Photovoice project) - →
Maternity research projects shortlisted for KERN awards - →
Patient and public involvement and engagement in maternity and perinatal mental health - →
Maternity and perinatal mental health research at ARC South London
Original source: arc-sl.nihr.ac.uk — NIHR ARC South London legacy content archived May 2026.