We are here, whatever the weather, to offer hope, empathy and support for every parent or network affected by perinatal mental illness.
PANDAS is a community offering peer-to-peer support for you, your family and your network.
How we can support you
Call our FREE helpline
We have a team of trained and dedicated volunteers, many of whom are studying and/or working within healthcare, midwifery or health services. Please call our free helpline for support and advice with empathy. Our lines are open 7 days a week, 11am until 10pm.
Email support
If you’re at work or home and don’t have the privacy to speak to us, please contact our email support service. Our trained and empathetic volunteers are awaiting your email and will reply within 72 hours.
I’d like to email
Support groups
Face-to-face support can offer a breath of fresh air if you’re a parent struggling with mental illness. We know how daunting baby groups can be, so we’ve designed ‘group support’ for parents to attend, specifically tailored around your mental health.
I’d like to find a group
Social media and Facebook groups
When coping with mental health and perinatal illness, we encourage parents to follow supportive social media channels. We only source, create and share positive, motivational and well researched content aimed at supporting your mental health.
I’d like to find out more
Text Support
You can access free & anonymous text support. Text the word ‘PANDAS’ to 85258. This will not appear on phone bills and you don’t need to register, download an app or use mobile data.
I’d like to text
Online Support Groups
We know that getting out to a physical location can be tricky for some parents and carers, so we offer online support groups that you can join from the comfort of your own home (or anywhere with an internet connection!). We have a weekly central call for all parents & carers and a bi-weekly group just for Dads too.
What is PND?
Postnatal depression (PND) is a type of depression that many parents experience after having a baby. It can affect any parent, regardless of whether they’ve suffered from a mental health condition before. Postnatal depression is linked directly to giving birth and is a common problem, affecting 1 in 10 women within a year of giving birth. It can also affect dads and partners.
Find out more
How you can help us
If you need urgent help…
If you need urgent help or are worried about a loved one, call the Samaritans on 116 123 or the emergency services on 999.
![Big thanks to the wonderful @themotherhoodgroup for sharing this important & informative content. It’s so important we recognise this & address it. Some of the PANDAS team were lucky enough to take part in a training workshop earlier this year that tackled & discussed many of these issues run by @themotherhoodgroup . We highly recommend their workshops, training & organisation as a whole ❤️🙌
[ID Black Motherhood & Mental Health Stigma. What you should know - *some stigma is based on cultural beliefs around mental health *a majority of the stigma comes from within the system *Black women are least likely to seek mental health support *professionals in the UK lack training in understanding Black women’s mental health *There is a lack of personalised, attentive care for Black mothers *we need to have open & honest discussions around Black mothers’ health & wellbeing]](https://pandasfoundation.org.uk/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png)
