‘It won’t catch us off guard this time’: interview study exploring use of mental health care plans for birth and the postpartum period within perinatal mental health services

BACKGROUND: Evidence shows that advance care planning has the potential to reduce involuntary admissions and empower service users. The perinatal period is a time of heightened risk of relapse of mental illness, and, in this context, many perinatal mental health services routinely offer pre-birth mental health care planning meetings. AIMS: We aimed to explore the experience of perinatal mental health service users and their partners following a pre-birth planning meeting and the writing of a perinatal care plan that included advance care plans for birth, postpartum and in case of crisis. METHOD: We interviewed pregnant perinatal mental health service users and their partners at two large, urban maternity hospitals in Dublin, Ireland. We used thematic analysis to identify key themes relevant to their experiences of pre-birth planning meetings and written perinatal mental health care plans. RESULTS: Ten service users and three partners were interviewed. We identified five themes: theme 1, Hoping for change; theme 2, A wish to be heard; theme 3, Individualised care; theme 4, Security of 'a plan in place' and theme 5, Role of the support network. CONCLUSIONS: Women and their partners value pre-birth planning meetings and these should routinely be offered within services, with consideration as to the size and timing of the meeting, and who is in attendance. These findings are relevant to general adult and liaison psychiatrists who should also incorporate advance care planning into routine practice.