Action Postpartum Psychosis

APP (Action Postpartum Psychosis) http://www.app-network.org/ is a network of women across the UK who have experienced postpartum psychosis and who want to increase public awareness and research into the condition. APP is run by a team made up of academics, health professionals and women who have recovered from PP.

Their aims are:

• To provide up to date research information to women who have experienced PP and their families.
• To facilitate research into all aspects of PP
• To increase awareness of PP – its symptoms, management and impact – among health professionals and the general public

Postpartum Psychosis (also called ‘Puerperal Psychosis’, ‘Postnatal Psychosis’, ‘Postpartum Bipolar Disorder’) is a severe mental illness, which has a sudden onset in the first few weeks following childbirth.

Over 1300 women experience PP each year in the UK. For women, their partners, friends and family it can be hard to find high quality information. There are many unanswered questions and areas where much more research is needed. APP aim to provide women, their families and the professionals involved in their care with up-to-date information about postpartum psychosis. The APP site is a work in progress – please check back regularly as they will be adding lots of content in the coming months.

I am delighted that over the last few years some readers of my book have contacted APP and joined in research as I listed it in my resource section. On Tuesday at the HealthCare Event conference I was delighted to meet Carol Dolman from APP. Her expertise is around bi-polar disorder and PP http://www.app-network.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/ClareV1.pdf . I hope to meet up with Dr. Ian Jones from APP when I am in Cardiff at the end of the month.

Elaine Hanzak

www.hanzak.com