One in two new mothers who took part in the first countrywide study of its kind by the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT) reported symptoms of depression and anxiety that need further assessment. The same proportion described giving birth as “painful”.
The findings concern symptoms that call for evaluation, not necessarily diagnosed mental disorders. However, the frequency with which they were reported raises questions over whether mothers are being identified and supported in time.
The results, based on questionnaires completed by 474 new mothers and on focus groups about their experiences of motherhood, point to the need to strengthen perinatal mental health services. They were presented on October 14 and 15 at a conference and training meeting at the Shiakolas Educational Centre of Medicine in Nicosia, attended by 80 health professionals from across Cyprus.
The study is part of the European project Mind the Mum, led by CUT, with associate professor of midwifery Eleni Hadjigeorgiou as scientific coordinator. The project runs from 2024 to 2027, is co-funded by the European Union through the EU4Health programme, and collects data on perinatal mental health in Cyprus and Slovenia.
Screening and support
The study concludes that Cyprus needs systematic programmes to detect mental health difficulties during pregnancy and after birth, organised procedures for referring women to the right services, and the capacity for early intervention.
It also stresses the need to record statistical indicators so that the relevant services have a clearer picture of women’s needs. Support for mothers cannot be limited to one-off interventions, it says, but must involve the family, the mother’s support network and the professionals caring for her.
The discussions at the meeting also highlighted institutional gaps in support for both mothers and perinatal care professionals.
Hadjigeorgiou said the project team was committed to promoting the health of pregnant women, mothers, newborns and families, and to training health professionals through targeted courses and interactive workshops.
Chryso Grigoriadou, president of the National Breastfeeding Committee, who represented the health ministry, spoke about the importance of continuing training for health professionals and stressed the need for psychological support for mothers during breastfeeding.
Maria Panayiotou, of the midwives’ committee of the Pancyprian Association of Nurses and Midwives, said perinatal mental health is an integral part of midwifery care and must be treated as seriously as any other aspect of the health of women and their families.
The two-day training covered early recognition of psychological difficulties, how to communicate with mothers, handling sensitive situations such as perinatal loss, and cooperation between different specialties. Experts from Cyprus, the University of Gdansk in Poland and the European Institute of Perinatal Mental Health in Spain took part. Practices from Poland were also presented, focusing on women’s rights during childbirth, consent to medical interventions, breastfeeding support and contact between mother and newborn.
Free programme
As part of Mind the Mum, a free programme to prepare and empower expectant mothers is already running through countrywide sessions organised by CUT with the organisation Birth Forward. Once the pilot ends, the aim is for the programme to become a prevention tool for perinatal and mental health professionals across Cyprus.
The research team is also preparing evidence-based recommendations for including perinatal mental health in primary and secondary care, with an emphasis on prevention, linking services and cooperation between disciplines.
The project is expected to end in mid-2027 with a final international conference in Nicosia on June 10, 2027.
