Island Health cuts funding for postpartum depression counselling program

After 20 years of offering counselling to women struggling with postpartum depression, Traci McGee is still digesting the news that her program has lost all its public funding from Island Health.

The clinical counsellor and family therapist says she helps up to 200 new mothers each year, in what was the only publicly funded program offering one-on-one postpartum therapy in Greater Victoria.

McGee said postpartum depression is a serious but treatable mental illness that affects up to 15 per cent of mothers around childbirth. Often linked with anxiety, new mothers can feel extreme sadness, anger, and doubt, which can be harmful to themselves and their families. It's also a time of great biological, financial, and social change, which can make things worse, said McGee.

While support groups exist, and Island Health plans to give more training to public health nurses on the topic, health providers in Greater Victoria are concerned by how the cut will impact women.

'Funding has never gone up'

McGee said that while conversations around mental health have become more prominent in recent years, "the funding has never gone up for this program," which was supported by the Queen Alexandra Centre for Children's Health until Island Health took over a few years ago.

Last year, Island Health cut the program's initial funding of $50,000 in half, and restricted the criteria for eligible mothers.

"We really stretched our [resources] as thinly as we possibly could in order to service as many women as possible," said McGee.

Sheila Duffy from the Pacific Post Partum Support Society says the loss of a program like this is concerning, especially when so many families are financially unstable during childbirth.

A statement from Island Health says it is "increasing services within our public health units in order to provide that support to a broader range of women."

It says it has redirected the funds to provide more specialized training for public health nurses, and, over the past two years, has increased the number of postpartum depression support groups.

"A significant number of women have ... depression and anxiety due to infant feeding challenges," so Island Health has "enhanced breastfeeding support" and "Baby Talk support groups," the statement said.

General lack of support in Greater Victoria

Dr. Alicia Power, who heads the Victoria maternity clinic Grow Health, says that, until now, most health practitioners have referred patients with moderate needs to McGee's program.

While there are a few support groups in the area, Power said there aren't nearly enough to serve the community's needs, especially when her own research has shown that 50 per cent of Victoria's pregnant women currently have, or have previously had, a mental health concern.

"Either it takes a long time to [see a counsellor] … or we don't have the supports at all," she explained, adding it's important for healthcare workers to work with public health to expand the range of programs, including individualized services.

Psychiatrist Joanna Cheek says there could be a solution in group therapy, especially with such a severe doctor shortage on the south island. 

She said she's been working with Island Health and public health nurses to begin a new postpartum depression support group, which would bring struggling moms together. In this way, they could decrease the stigma of depression and anxiety around childbirth. 

Cheek said she hopes to begin the program next month, but has had trouble securing a location to offer it.