Mind Cymru announces £145,000 Welsh Government funding for a two-year perinatal mental health project / Mind Cymru yn cyhoeddi £145,000 o arian grant gan Lywodraeth Cymru ar gyfer prosiect iechyd meddwl amenedigol

Mind Cymru has announced £145,000 grant funding from the Welsh Government for a two-year perinatal mental health project targeting women across Wales.

The project will raise awareness of perinatal mental health and the support available to ensure the general public and health and social care professionals better understand the problems women can face.

Alan Briscoe, Mind Cymru’s Training and Consultancy Manager, said:

“Mental ill health during pregnancy and early motherhood is a serious issue with potentially lifelong consequences for the mental health and wellbeing of women and their families.

“Pregnancy and early motherhood should be a happy and exciting time but for too many women this is sadly not the case. Expectant and new mums can be very vulnerable, but are often overlooked and not given appropriate help early enough. It was with this in mind that Mind Cymru developed the new perinatal mental health project. 

“Our aim is to not only increase the number of women who seek early support but to also ensure support is available when needed. To do this we will work with a broad range of partners within communities and the voluntary and health sectors targeting women across Wales, including those living in rural areas and from BME and refugee backgrounds.”

Chris Coe, Regional Director for Wales for Farm Community Network, one of the organisations involved in the project, said:

“People in rural areas can feel more isolated than those in larger towns and cities and find it harder to access the help and support they may need. I am therefore delighted to be involved with this project on behalf of the Farm Community Network.”

Two kinds of perinatal mental health training will also be developed and rolled out as part of the project.

Alan explained:

“The first will be aimed at health and social care professionals to help increase recognition of the early signs of perinatal mental health problems. This will increase opportunities for early intervention, resulting in improved support and better outcomes for those involved.

“The second will focus on helping to increase the resilience of women from at risk groups. This will allow those who take part in the workshops to learn skills that will have a long lasting impact on their personal health and the wellbeing of their families.”

Laura Jane, a mother of two, experienced mental health problems following complications during pregnancy.

She said:

“My pregnancies certainly weren't easy. My problems probably started about 16 weeks into my first pregnancy and continued until after the birth of my second child. During this time I had a lot of physical health problems including intense pain and sickness, which had an effect on my mental health. 

“As someone who experienced severe depression from my twentieth week of pregnancy, this project cannot come soon enough. I believe I would have really benefitted from resilience training. 

“I also believe improving general awareness and recognition of signs and breaking down the stigma associated with perinatal mental health will certainly benefit women and families for years to come.” 

Mind Cymru is also looking for women who have experienced perinatal mental health problems to get directly involved with the project by sharing their story and help shape the content of resources.

Alan added:

“We’d like to offer women the chance to share their story by helping to create their own digital story. Those who would like to get involved will be given training and support to create their story. We’re also asking women to help shape the content of the project’s information resources to ensure they are as useful and accessible as possible. We are especially keen to hear from Welsh speakers and women whose first language is neither Welsh nor English.”

Mind Cymru'n sicrhau arian ar gyfer prosiect iechyd meddwl amenedigol

Mae Mind Cymru wedi cyhoeddi £145,000 o arian grant gan Lywodraeth Cymru ar gyfer prosiect iechyd meddwl amenedigol dwy flynedd o hyd sy'n targedu merched ledled Cymru.

Bydd y prosiect yn codi ymwybyddiaeth o iechyd meddwl amenedigol a'r cymorth sydd ar gael er mwyn sicrhau bod y cyhoedd a gweithwyr proffesiynol ym maes iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol yn deall y problemau gall merched eu hwynebu yn well.

Dywedodd Alan Briscoe, Rheolwr Hyfforddi ac Ymgynghoriaeth Mind Cymru, elusen iechyd meddwl Cymru:

"Mae salwch meddwl yn ystod beichiogrwydd a'r cyfnod cyntaf o fod yn fam yn fater difrifol a all arwain at ganlyniadau gydol oes i iechyd meddwl a lles merched a'u teuluoedd. 

“Dylai beichiogrwydd a'r cyfnod cyntaf o fod yn fam fod yn adeg hapus a chyffrous ond yn anffodus, i ormod o ferched, nid yw hyn yn wir. Gall mamau beichiog a mamau newydd fod yn agored iawn i niwed, ond maent yn cael eu hanghofio'n aml ac nid ydynt yn cael yr help priodol yn ddigon cynnar. Gyda hyn mewn golwg y datblygodd Mind Cymru'r prosiect iechyd meddwl amenedigol newydd. 

"Ein nod yw cynyddu nifer y merched sy'n ceisio cymorth cynnar, yn ogystal â sicrhau bod cymorth ar gael pan fydd ei angen. I wneud hyn, byddwn yn gweithio gydag ystod eang o bartneriaid mewn cymunedau a'r sectorau gwirfoddol ac iechyd er mwyn targedu merched ledled Cymru, gan gynnwys y rheini sy'n byw mewn ardaloedd gwledig a'r rhai o gefndiroedd Pobl Dduon a Lleiafrifoedd Ethnig a cheiswyr lloches."

Dywedodd Chris Coe, Cyfarwyddwr Rhanbarthol Cymru ar gyfer Rhwydwaith Cymunedol Fferm, sef un o'r sefydliadau sy'n cymryd rhan yn y prosiect:

"Mae problemau iechyd meddwl amenedigol yn effeithio ar ferched ledled Cymru. Gall unigolion mewn ardaloedd gwledig deimlo'n fwy ynysig na'r rheini mewn trefi a dinasoedd mwy a gallant ei chael hi'n anoddach cael gafael ar yr help a'r cymorth sydd ei angen arnynt.  Felly, rwy'n falch iawn o fod yn rhan o'r prosiect hwn ar ran Rhwydwaith Cymunedol Fferm."

Caiff dau fath o gwrs hyfforddi ar iechyd meddwl amenedigol hefyd eu datblygu a'u cyflwyno fel rhan o'r prosiect.

Esboniodd Alan:

"Anelir y cwrs hyfforddi cyntaf at weithwyr proffesiynol ym maes iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol er mwyn helpu i gynyddu ymwybyddiaeth o'r arwyddion cyntaf o broblemau iechyd amenedigol. Bydd hyn yn rhoi mwy o gyfleoedd i ymyrryd yn gynnar, gan arwain at gymorth a chanlyniadau gwell i'r rhai dan sylw.

"Bydd yr ail gwrs yn canolbwyntio ar helpu i gynyddu gwydnwch merched o grwpiau sydd mewn perygl. Bydd hyn yn galluogi i'r rheini sy'n cymryd rhan yn y gweithdai ddysgu sgiliau a gaiff effaith barhaol ar eu hiechyd personol ac ar les eu teuluoedd."

Cafodd Laura Jane, sy'n fam ar ddau o blant, broblemau iechyd meddwl ar ôl cael cymhlethdodau yn ystod beichiogrwydd.

Dywedodd:

"Doedd bod yn feichiog ddim yn hawdd o gwbl. Dechreuodd fy mhroblemau ar ôl tua 16 wythnos o'm beichiogrwydd cyntaf, gan barhau hyd nes ar ôl i mi gael fy ail blentyn. Yn ystod y cyfnod hwn, cefais lawer o broblemau iechyd corfforol gan gynnwys poen a salwch dwys a effeithiodd ar fy iechyd meddwl. 

“Fel rhywun a brofodd iselder difrifol o'm hugeinfed wythnos o feichiogrwydd, rwy'n croesawu'r prosiect hwn yn fawr. Rwy'n credu y byddai'r hyfforddiant gwydnwch wedi bod o fudd gwirioneddol i mi. 

"Rwyf hefyd yn credu y bydd gwella ymwybyddiaeth a chydnabyddiaeth cyffredinol o'r arwyddion a lleihau'r stigma sy'n gysylltiedig ag iechyd meddwl amenedigol o fudd mawr i ferched a theuluoedd am flynyddoedd i ddod." 

Mae Mind Cymru hefyd yn chwilio am ferched sydd wedi cael profiad o broblemau iechyd meddwl amenedigol i gysylltu'n uniongyrchol â'r prosiect drwy rannu eu stori a helpu i lunio cynnwys gwybodaeth ac adnoddau'r prosiect.

Ychwanegodd Alan:

"Hoffem gynnig y cyfle i ferched rannu eu stori drwy eu helpu i greu eu stori ddigidol eu hunain. Bydd y rheini a hoffai gymryd rhan yn cael hyfforddiant a chymorth i greu eu stori. Rydym hefyd yn gofyn i ferched helpu i lunio cynnwys adnoddau gwybodaeth y prosiect er mwyn sicrhau eu bod mor ddefnyddiol a hygyrch â phosibl. Rydym yn arbennig o awyddus i glywed gan siaradwyr Cymraeg a merched nad Cymraeg neu Saesneg yw eu hiaith gyntaf."