Perinatal mental health research: priorities from a neurodiverse sample in the United Kingdom

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Lautarescu, A., Heraty, S., Johnson, C., Ruigrok, A., Eaton, E., Bazelmans, T., Sigurdardottir, J., Ratti, V., Stone, H., Anderson, J., Javed, A., Mahtani, S., Lau-Zhu, A., & Smith, D. M. (2026). Perinatal mental health research: priorities from a neurodiverse sample in the United Kingdom. Archives of Women's Mental Health, 29(4). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-026-01734-x

Publication date: 22 Jun 2026 Added to AutiHub: 24 Sep 2026 Type: Article Article language: English
Publisher source (DOI) Full text OpenAlex source

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Authors

Publication authors
14
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 14 (7.1%)
  1. Alexandra Lautarescu
  2. Siofra Heraty
  3. Chloe Johnson
  4. Amber Ruigrok
  5. Eliza Eaton *
  1. Tessel Bazelmans
  2. Julie Sigurdardottir
  3. Victoria Ratti
  4. Holly Stone
  5. Jenna Anderson
  1. Ayesha Javed
  2. Shivali Mahtani
  3. Alex Lau-Zhu
  4. Debbie M. Smith

Abstract

Abstract Purpose The aim of this study is to better understand perinatal mental health research priorities of neurotypical and neurodivergent people. Methods A co-designed mixed-methods survey was conducted as part of the Wellbeing Across Neurotypes: Depression and Anxiety (WANDA) study. 709 participants in the United Kingdom (UK) quantitatively rated and ranked research topics within perinatal mental health, with 253 also providing qualitative data. Results The top research priorities were (1) interventions and (2) diagnosis for perinatal mental health problems for birthing people and (3) how these impact parent-infant relationships. Qualitative data revealed additional topics of importance including healthcare experiences, trauma, and neurodiversity. Conslusions These results suggest complex, multilevel barriers to accessing diagnosis and support in the UK.

Bibliography cited by this reference

Cited references are imported from external metadata sources when they are available. The list may be partial.

Cited bibliography overview

These indicators describe the bibliography cited by this publication. An author name is counted each time it appears in one cited reference, so the same person can be counted more than once. Names not yet linked to an author already present in AutiHub are treated as unknown, not as non-autistic. Last computed: 2 Oct 2026 01:01.

Cited references
13
With a DOI
10
Without a DOI, from raw bibliography text
3
2 / 13 (15.4%) cited references include at least one author identified as autistic.
References with data to complete
3 / 13 (23.1%)
References with detected author names
10 / 13 (76.9%)
Without detected author names
3
Without a structured title
3
Without a stable identifier
3
References with raw author names still to review
3
References with external metadata lookup issues
0
These indicators apply to cited references displayed on this page, after technical duplicates have been merged. A reference without a DOI can still support author statistics when a title and author names are available.
Author names detected in the cited bibliography
79
From DOI or external metadata
79
From validated raw bibliography text
0
Raw names already validated
0
Raw names still to review
3
33 / 79 (41.8%) names are linked to an author already present in AutiHub. 46 / 79 (58.2%) names are not yet linked.
Names linked to a person identified as autistic
4 / 79 (5.1%)
Calculated across all author names detected in the cited bibliography. Among names linked to an author already present in AutiHub: 4 / 33 (12.1%). Distinct people identified as autistic: 4 / 78 (5.1%).
  2. APPG: All-Party Parliamentary Group on Birth Trauma (2024) Listen to mums: ending the postcode lottery on perinatal care
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  3. Megan Sambrook Smith , Vanessa Lawrence , Euan Sadler , Abigail Easter (2019). Barriers to accessing mental health services for women with perinatal mental illness: systematic review and meta-synthesis of qualitative studies in the UK . BMJ Open, 9(1), e024803. BMJ.
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    Crossref OpenAlex
  5. Alana Rogers , Shelley Obst , Samantha J. Teague , Larissa Rossen , Elizabeth A. Spry , Jacqui A. Macdonald et al. (2020). Association Between Maternal Perinatal Depression and Anxiety and Child and Adolescent Development . JAMA Pediatr, 174(11), 1082. American Medical Association (AMA).
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2020.2910 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3086442239
    Crossref OpenAlex
  7. Louise M. Howard , Hind Khalifeh (2020). Perinatal mental health: a review of progress and challenges . World psychiatry, 19(3), 313. Wiley.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1002/wps.20769 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3087280641
    Crossref OpenAlex
  8. Krippendorff K (1989) Content analysis: an introduction to its methodology. Sage
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  9. Kara L. Smythe , Irene Petersen , Patricia Schartau (2022). Prevalence of Perinatal Depression and Anxiety in Both Parents . JAMA Netw Open, 5(6), e2218969. American Medical Association (AMA).
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.18969 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4283397289
    Crossref OpenAlex
  10. Michelle L. Miller , Jessica Dupree , Mahogany A. Monette , Elizabeth K. Lau , Allison Peipert (2024). Health Equity and Perinatal Mental Health . Curr psychiatry Rep, 26(9), 460. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1007/s11920-024-01521-4 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4400663242
    Crossref OpenAlex
  11. Aja Louise Murray , Diana Taut , Adriana Baban , Chad Lance Hemady , Susan Walker , Joseph Osafo et al. (2022). Associations Between ADHD Symptoms and Maternal and Birth Outcomes: An Exploratory Analysis in a Multi-Country Cohort of Expectant Mothers . J Atten Disord, 26(14), 1882. SAGE Publications.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1177/10870547221105064 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4285009886
    Crossref OpenAlex
  12. Clara Mossinger , Komal Manerkar , Caroline A. Crowther , Jane E. Harding , Katie M. Groom (2023). Research priorities for maternal and perinatal health clinical trials and methods used to identify them: A systematic review . Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reproductive Biology, 280, 120. Elsevier BV.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2022.11.022 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4309931560
    Crossref OpenAlex
  13. Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) (2025) Estimated prevalence of perinatal mental health conditions in England, 2016 to 2019. Department of Health and Social Care, London. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/perinatal-mental-health-condition-prevalence/estimated-prevalence-of-perinatal-mental-health-conditions-in-england-2016-to-2019 . Accessed 17 June 2026
    Type: Other
    Crossref