Miss Semra Worrall BSc(Hons), MSc, GMBPsS

I am interested in perinatal psychology, specifically maternal mental health conditions occurring during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Estimates suggest 1 in 5 women will experience a mental health problem during the first postpartum year and although the comorbidity of anxiety and depression, and depression alone, is well-researched, postpartum anxiety is comparatively less understood. I am particularly interested in understanding more about how postpartum anxiety manifests in mothers, particularly during the first postpartum year.

Preterm birth (birth at less than 37 weeks gestation) represents a significant public health issue and is now the leading cause of death amongst children under 5 according to the World Health Organization. Although the short- and long-term effects of preterm birth on infant outcomes are well understood, the effect of preterm birth on maternal mental health is relatively less studied. I am interested in the impact of preterm birth on maternal mental health, particularly postpartum anxiety. I am also interested in whether rates and types of anxiety are experienced differentially by mothers depending on the severity of the infant's prematurity.