A public health issue underestimated for too long
The perinatal period — which extends from pregnancy until the child's first year of life — is one of the most emotionally and neurobiologically intense for both parents. Yet, the psychological disorders associated with it are still insufficiently screened for and treated in France.
According to the French National Authority for Health (HAS), postpartum depression affects between 10 and 15% of mothers after childbirth. These figures, derived from available epidemiological data, do not take into account undiagnosed cases, likely numerous due to the persistence of feelings of guilt or shame surrounding these difficulties.
It is important to distinguish several clinical realities often confused in public debate: the baby blues, transient and physiological, affecting a majority of women in the first days after childbirth; postpartum depression, which sets in more durably and requires professional support; and in rarer cases, puerperal psychosis, a psychiatric emergency affecting approximately 1 to 2 women per 1000 births according to medical literature data.
What recent research helps us better understand
The role of biological and social context
Research in neuroscience and perinatal psychiatry has shown that postpartum mood disorders are not due to personal fragility, but to a complex interaction between hormonal, neurobiological, relational, and social factors. Studies published in peer-reviewed journals such as The Lancet Psychiatry particularly highlight the importance of a history of anxiety or depression, the quality of partner support, and the social environment as factors modulating risk.
Fathers and co-parents are also affected
An often overlooked aspect: perinatal disorders do not only concern mothers. International studies, some cited by the WHO in its guidelines on maternal and child mental health, estimate that paternal postpartum depression affects between 8 and 10% of fathers. The mechanisms involved differ — the hormonal aspect is lesser — but the stress factors related to role changes, lack of sleep, and new responsibilities are shared.
Impact on infant development
Perinatal psychiatry also focuses on the parent-child relationship as a central variable. Untreated disorders can affect the quality of early interactions, which play a documented role in the infant's cognitive, emotional, and language development. This is particularly highlighted by work on attachment and research on early childhood development, widely adopted by institutions such as UNICEF in its reports on the first years of life.
The French care system: where do we stand?
Recent regulatory advances
In France, the national strategy for women's health 2023-2027, led by the Ministry of Health, explicitly identifies perinatal mental health as a priority. Since 2022, the early postnatal interview — conducted between the fourth and eighth week after childbirth — has been officially included in the postpartum care pathway reimbursed by the French health insurance (Assurance Maladie). This interview, conducted by a midwife or a doctor, allows for an initial screening for signs of psychological distress.
Mother-baby units: a specialized resource
For the most complex situations, Mother-Baby Units (MBUs) allow for joint hospitalization of the mother and her infant, thus preserving the attachment bond while ensuring intensive psychiatric monitoring. France has about thirty of these units in its territory, a number still insufficient given the needs identified by health professionals.
Resources accessible to families
The Ameli.fr platform provides clear information on warning signs and professionals to contact. The national suicide prevention number (3114) is accessible 24/7 and trained in perinatal situations. Associations like Maman Blues also offer a non-medical listening space, useful for parents who first seek to share their experience before embarking on a care pathway.
What this concretely means for parents
Recognizing that the perinatal period can be difficult — emotionally, physically, relationally — is not an admission of failure. On the contrary, it is the starting point for a lucid and benevolent parenthood. The philosophy of slow parenting, which Treelys has advocated since its beginnings, starts from the same principle: taking care of oneself is a condition, and not an obstacle, to taking care of one's child.
The environment in which an infant develops — its physical safety, the quality of interactions it receives, the serenity of the place in which it grows up — is directly linked to the well-being of its parents. This is why choosing products designed to reduce the mental load of daily life, such as an activity mat designed to stimulate without over-soliciting, contributes to the same consistency: creating a calm setting for the first months of life.
The topic of perinatal mental health also joins reflections on the place of scientific research in parental choices and on the importance of factual data to guide families, without guilt-tripping them.
What professionals recommend
The HAS recommends that health professionals use validated screening tools, such as the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), during postnatal consultations. For parents, recommendations converge around a few essential points: do not wait until symptoms worsen to talk about them, involve the partner in follow-up, and do not hesitate to contact their general practitioner, midwife, or a perinatal psychologist.
Psychological consultations are partially reimbursed under the MonPsy scheme, accessible via Ameli, which removes one of the financial obstacles frequently cited by families.
Conclusion: care is improving, but efforts are still needed
Perinatal mental health is now better recognized by public authorities than it was ten years ago. Mechanisms exist, professionals are being trained, and research is progressing. But the challenge of destigmatization remains: as long as talking about difficulties after a birth is perceived as a failure to meet the parental ideal, some families will not access the care they need.
It is by clearly naming these realities, relying on reliable data, and offering parents simple access to quality resources that we contribute to healthier parenting — for children and for those who raise them.
