Patients as parents: possible impact of changing childbirth and faltering families

Summary

This paper reflects evidence that the pattern of family life in Europe and North America has changed substantially in the last 30 years with an increased frequency of lone parents, and a dramatic increase in the rate of divorce and separation. The implications of these changes for the transmission of knowledge and values between generations for Perinatal Mental Health Services are described. These faltering family structures are the background for the promotion of a more culturally sensitive Perinatal Mental Health Service, and may partially explain why Postnatal Depression has become a subject of global concern.