UCLan mental health nurse will share own experiences in order to raise awareness
A mental health nursing lecturer from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) is sharing her personal experiences of perinatal mental health issues in order to raise awareness of the condition.
In a free public lecture at the University on Thursday, 21 July, Jane Fisher will explain how she dramatically went from a mental health nurse on maternity leave to a mental health patient, almost overnight, following the birth of her daughter.
The Sun Will Shine Again - A Journey in Maternal Mental Health, will explore maternal mental health to raise awareness, reduce stigma and offer hope to anyone affected.
According to the Maternal Mental Health Alliance*, Around one in five women experience a perinatal mental health problem during pregnancy or within the early postnatal years and 70% will try to hide or downplay it.
"I hope that by sharing my own journey through perinatal mental illness it will offer hope and inspiration to anyone going through the same issues. "
— UCLan mental health nursing lecturer Jane Fisher
Jane, who has written a children’s book explaining maternal mental illness to young children and published a number of articles on the subject, said: “I hope that by sharing my own journey through perinatal mental illness it will offer hope and inspiration to anyone going through the same issues.
“I also want to talk about ways to approach new mums about their mental and emotional health and how children in the family can be supported.”
The event will take place between 6.00pm – 7.00pm on Thursday, 21 July, at UCLan’s Mitchell and Kenyon Cinema in Foster Building on the Preston Campus.
It is free but attendees are asked to register online. For more information, email engageuclan@uclan.ac.uk