The perinatal period is a period in which mental disorders are likely to develop due to large psychosocial and physical changes. The mother's mental health problems not only affect herself, but also the mental and physical development of the fetus and newborn, and the family. As it may lead to serious problems, such as child abuse, the mother's own death, and infanticide, early detection and response, and preparation of a support system are urgent issues. In particular, women with a history of mental illness have a higher risk of relapse and recurrence than those with new onset, and psychiatric care is considered to play a major role.
 In recent years, the importance of perinatal mental health care has been recognized in society and national measures have been taken. For example, strengthening the maternity health checkups and support for pregnant and postpartum women was included as an important measure in the comprehensive suicide measures. However, the perinatal period consists of support from both the fields of maternal and child health and child-rearing support, and as many institutions are involved in such support, it is difficult for related organizations to cooperate, and support is divided by systems and institutions. Although there are many points that have not been resolved to address this issue, we assigned a dedicated psychologist to the outpatient department of obstetrics. As such, when mentally unstable pregnant women visit the obstetrics department, we can collaborate in order to detect and intervene early. This article describes the current state of mental health of pregnant and postpartum women, the difficulty of support, and some of the measures taken at our hospital.
 Author's abstract