Mental health | maternal health

The Perinatal Peer Support Principles

The Perinatal Peer Support Principles are a set of five values designed to give peer supporters the confidence to create and deliver peer support that meets the needs of women and families affected by mental health problems during pregnancy or the postnatal period. It is designed to be applicable in a variety of settings. Adherence to the principles should help ensure that peer support during this important time is: safe, inclusive, informed, benefitting everyone involved, and distinct from - but connected to - clinical perinatal mental health services.

Alongside the principles is a grid of questions which can be used to reflect on and improve a service or project, or to demonstrate the quality of this peer support to potential funders.

The principles were co-designed by people with lived experience, maternal mental health and maternity professionals, organisations facilitating peer support, Mind and the McPin Foundation. They were commissioned by the Maternal Mental Health Alliance and funded by Comic Relief.