Cyprus Survey Finds Half of New Mothers Need Mental Health Follow-Up
A nationwide Cyprus University of Technology (CUT) study has found that half of the new mothers surveyed reported depression and anxiety symptoms warranting further clinical evaluation, with the same share describing childbirth as "painful." The findings, drawn from 474 completed questionnaires and focus group discussions, were presented October 14-15 at a conference in Nicosia attended by 80 health professionals.
What the data show, and what they don't
The researchers are careful to note that reported symptoms are not the same as confirmed diagnoses. Screening tools flag people who may benefit from a closer clinical look, but a formal assessment by a qualified professional is needed to determine whether someone has a diagnosable condition such as postpartum depression or an anxiety disorder. Even with that caveat, the scale of the finding - roughly one in two participants - is significant enough, the study argues, to raise questions about whether Cyprus's current perinatal care system catches these cases early enough.
A European research project with local stakes
The study is part of Mind the Mum, a project led by CUT and coordinated scientifically by associate professor of midwifery Eleni Hadjigeorgiou. Co-funded by the European Union's EU4Health programme, it runs from 2024 to 2027 and gathers comparable perinatal mental health data in both Cyprus and Slovenia. The project's stated aim is not only to measure the problem but to build concrete tools - screening protocols, referral pathways and training - that health systems can actually use.
Calls for systematic screening and referral pathways
Researchers concluded that Cyprus needs organized programs to detect mental health difficulties during pregnancy and after birth, clearer procedures for referring women to appropriate services, and stronger capacity for early intervention. They also called for better statistical tracking so services can understand the scale of need, and argued that support should extend beyond one-off contacts to involve families, support networks and the full range of caregiving professionals.
Speakers at the Nicosia meeting, including Chryso Grigoriadou of the National Breastfeeding Committee and Maria Panayiotou of the midwives' committee of the Pancyprian Association of Nurses and Midwives, emphasized continuing professional training and argued that perinatal mental health should be treated with the same seriousness as other aspects of maternal health. The two-day training also covered recognizing psychological difficulties early, communicating sensitively with mothers, and handling situations such as perinatal loss, drawing on experts from Cyprus, Poland and Spain.
A free program already underway
Alongside the research, CUT and the organization Birth Forward are running a free, countrywide program to prepare and support expectant mothers. If the pilot succeeds, organizers hope to turn it into a standing prevention tool for perinatal professionals across Cyprus. The research team is also drafting evidence-based recommendations for integrating perinatal mental health into primary and secondary care, with the project scheduled to conclude at a final conference in Nicosia on June 10, 2027.