The needs of mothers with severe mental illness: a comparison of assessments of needs by staff and patients

To identify the concordance in assessments of health and social care needs of pregnant women and mothers with severe mental illness as assessed by patients themselves and their mental healthcare professionals. Thirty-five staff–patient pairs were recruited from inpatient and community services. Staff and patients completed the Camberwell Assessment of Need—Mothers Version. There were significant differences in the total number of needs (p < 0.01) and total number of unmet needs (p < 0.001) reported by staff and patients themselves. There was moderate or better agreement on the presence of an unmet need in eight of 26 life domains. Agreement was low in several domains relevant to being a mother—notably pregnancy care, safety to child/others, and practical and emotional childcare domains. Unmet needs were particularly common in the areas of daytime activities, sleep, psychological distress and violence and abuse. Staff and pregnant women and mothers with severe mental illness moderately agree about health and social care needs but agree less often on which needs are unmet. This highlights the importance of the views of the mothers themselves, as well as assessments by staff.