Perinatal mental health and Islam

Islam is the fastest growing religion globally. There are currently 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide and this is projected to increase by 70%, so that, by 2060, Muslims will account for 3 billion of the global population (Pew Research Center, 2017). Here in the UK, the number of people who identify as Muslim has increased from 3.0% to 4.8%, or a population of 2.7 million people, making Islam the second largest religion in the UK (Office of National Statistics (ONS), 2011).

Perinatal mental health manifests as depression, anxiety disorders and postpartum psychosis. These disorders can occur throughout the childbirth continuum; both during pregnancy and up to the first year postpartum. Approximately 20% of women experience perinatal mental illness in the UK, making perinatal mental health a common issue (O'Hara and Wisner, 2014).

The number of perinatal mental health services sadly does not meet the prevalence of the illness, with less than half of mental health Trusts providing a specialised perinatal mental health team staffed by a lead consultant perinatal psychiatrist (Joint Commissioning Panel for Mental Health, 2012). While some Trusts will have access to this service, others will have to rely upon adult mental health services alone in order to adapt their approach to a maternity situation.