Thème : Perinatal period and early childhood

How we can work together to help mothers with mental health problems in the SIPPE program?

Over the past year, the FEJ and mental health teams of the CSSS Dorval-Lachine-Lasalle wrote a document entitled, “Connecting the FEJ-DI-TED-DP, Psycho-social and Mental Health Services”. This document was a response to concerns the SIPPE program felt regarding its collaboration with the mental health team. It presents a framework for practice aiming to increase teamwork and collaboration between various services. Since implementing this framework last fall, we have noticed improvements in communication between health care providers on the FEJ and mental health teams. Because we are dealing with two programs with two distinct mandates, collaboration remains complex and great challenges lie ahead.

Getting ready for baby: Don’t forget about your mental health!

Quebec has been experiencing a mini baby boom since 2005, the greatest increase registering in mothers aged 25-39 years. In most cases, it is a first pregnancy and birth.

Now more than ever, parents have access to a host of resources to help them through the pregnancy and prepare for their newborn’s arrival.

Clear positive effects

The prenatal period and early childhood years set a crucial foundation for an individual’s mental health. Protective and risk factors contribute to making children stronger or more vulnerable in the short, medium or long term, even though they may be subsequently altered by other factors. As a result, these periods are especially favourable for both the promotion of mental health and the prevention of mental disorders.