King's Women's Mental Health (KWMH) conducts pioneering research to improve women's mental health. Our key research themes include perinatal mental health; understanding, reducing, and preventing the impact of violence and abuse; the needs and experiences of women with severe mental illness; and reproductive mental health. We lead globally significant studies that address these challenges and contribute to improvements to care and support for women worldwide.
At KWMH we are committed to producing research that not only advances academic knowledge, but which also drives meaningful change in health policy and practice. Our work achieves considerable impact, with our research on perinatal mental health, domestic abuse, and modern slavery recognized in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014 and 2021 as case studies exemplifying high-impact work. We are proud that our research informs and shapes both international and national guidelines and medical curricula, including those from the World Health Organization (WHO), National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), NHS England, and the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych).
KWMH is led by Sian Oram.
Key resources
Instruments
- Camberwell Assessment of Need – Mothers (CAN-M short version PDF), a tool for assessing the needs of pregnant women and mothers with severe mental illness. The book is available from https://www.cambridge.org/gb/universitypress/subjects/medicine/mental-health-psychiatry-and-clinical-psychology/can-m-camberwell-assessment-need-mothers?format=PB.
- PROTECT scale for assessing heath professionals’ knowledge and readiness to respond to human trafficking
Guidance and workbooks
- Guidance for health professionals on providing preconception care to women of childbearing age with severe mental illness
- Guidance for mental health professionals on identifying and responding to domestic violence and abuse
- Wellbeing in pregnancy: a guided self-help workbook