Belfast company seeks to address maternal mental health
A Belfast technology company is aiming to offer a lifeline for mothers experiencing mental health problems during or after pregnancy.
Last updated 3rd May 2017
Moment Health will facilitate a series of digital products to help women identify symptoms of various pregnancy related mental illnesses like postnatal depression and associated anxieties.
The announcement was made on Wednesday, Global Mental Health Day, with a significant investment coming from techstart NI.
Nuala Murphy, the founder and driving force behind Moment Health said that the idea came from becoming a mother herself.
"It was only when I became pregnant with my first son that I began to learn that not everyone enjoys a trouble-free pregnancy, with some mothers who experienced perinatal depression struggling to recognise their symptoms and find the right treatment," she said.
"Maternal mental ill-health is much more than the ‘baby blues’ and is potentially a very serious health condition if untreated.
"However, with early, targeted interventions, there is a very high rate of recovery at around 90%.
"Therefore, I have decided to build a technology company that will potentially help thousands of women and their families to identify that they have a treatable illness, understand that they are not alone, and where they can get help both professionally and through peer support.
"This first tranche of early stage investment has enabled me to bring together a team of four to develop our first product and bring it to market."