04 Nov Holistic approaches to maternity and perinatal mental health: findings from NIHR ARC South London
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Tuesday 4 November 2025
Holistic approaches to maternity and perinatal mental health: findings from NIHR ARC South London
Hear how ARC South London’s collaborative research is addressing critical inequalities in maternal and women’s healthcare, informing clinical guidance, improving service delivery and building the case for a more holistic approach.
Event details
| 📅 When | Tuesday 4 November 2025, 10am – 5pm |
| 📍 Where | Ortus, 82–96 Grove Lane, London SE5 8SN |
| 📄 Programme | Download the event programme (PDF) |
In the UK, we know that structural inequalities contribute to poorer health outcomes for some groups. In relation to maternity care, Black women have higher maternal death rates than white women, and an increased risk of miscarriage, premature birth and stillbirth. Women with multiple physical and mental health conditions and social complexity are at greatest risk of death during pregnancy or in the year following birth. These are not isolated issues — similar inequalities in maternal health occur worldwide.
Improving care for populations at risk is crucial. Since 2017, our maternity and perinatal mental health research at NIHR ARC South London — aligned with the life course approach of King’s College London’s Maternal and Perinatal Systems and Policy (MAPS) Research Group — has explored new approaches to address these inequalities.
About the event
The event brought together collaborative ARC research teams — including researchers, service users, charities and policymakers — to hear about how we aimed to address key inequalities in maternal health care and perinatal mental health, and how we worked in close partnership with patient and public members and people with lived experience.
Key areas explored
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Using innovative peer-research methods to help address inequalities and capture the experiences of people that we do not normally hear from
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Using linked healthcare records from maternity, mental health and hospital admissions data to map care pathways and birth outcomes for women from at-risk groups and those at risk of perinatal mental illness
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Investigating the complex contextual factors surrounding severe maternal morbidity and mortality among women with mental illness in south London
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Evaluating the impact of place-based models of maternity care targeted at vulnerable and disadvantaged women
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Improving health outcomes for women and babies at higher risk of complications during pregnancy and birth
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Better supporting migrant mothers and babies
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Exploring the experiences of women who had attempted suicide during the perinatal period, and lessons for care services
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Improving healthcare for women and babies when child protection services are involved
The event included presentations, Q&As and panel discussions with researchers, peer-researchers, people with lived experience, charity collaborators and policymakers. There was also an exhibition of photography capturing women’s lived experience using PhotoVoice, a research organisation that supports participatory photography, and a buffet lunch and refreshments.
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Looking to a fairer future
As well as exploring what we have learnt from our research over the past five years, the event looked forward to how this work will be advanced in the future. Together, participants advocated for a more holistic approach to women’s health and social care services, that meets women’s needs, improves safety, and is fairer and more efficient.
Who the event was for
Anyone passionate about improving maternal health and maternal mental health equity, including:
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Healthcare professionals
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Researchers
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Patient and public involvement members
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Policymakers and service commissioners
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Charity and community organisation representatives
Related content
- →
Conference news article — read what happened on the day - →
View the presentation slides from the event - →
Maternity and perinatal mental health research at ARC South London - →
Research impact: Informing national policy on perinatal mental health and maternity care - →
Research impact: Improving healthcare and support for families with children’s social care involvement
Contact
For queries about this event, please contact: arc-communications@kcl.ac.uk
Original source: arc-sl.nihr.ac.uk — NIHR ARC South London legacy content archived May 2026.