Think pink! A sticker alert system for psychological distress or vulnerability during pregnancy

Abstract

The importance of good clinical communication to women during pregnancy and birth is clear. Poor communication in labour is associated with general dissatisfaction, more complaints and a range of perinatal mental health problems including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and postnatal depression. To communicate effectively, maternity staff need information about which women are vulnerable and require extra support. To address this, a pink sticker communication system to alert midwifery and obstetric staff to potential psychological difficulties experienced by some women was implemented and evaluated. Evaluation showed this system was viewed positively by women and midwifery staff. Audit of referrals to the perinatal psychology service during this period suggests no woman with a pink sticker developed birth trauma as a direct result of perceived poor care. In addition, the proportion of referrals to perinatal psychology for birth trauma significantly reduced during this period.