In Oct North East London NHS Strategic Authority published a report on the Daksha Emson case.
Dr Daksha Emson, a psychiatrist, and her daughter, aged three months, died following an extended suicide on 9th October 2000.
The enquiry concluded, among other things. Daksha’s extended suicide was: predisposed by bipolar affective disorder, precipitated primarily by the biological consequence of giving birth and the absence of any protection through medication and influenced by psychosocial stresses impossible to assess precisely. Daksha was afraid of being stigmatised if others knew of her illness.
Suicide is the leading cause of maternal death. The majority of these women die by violent means as opposed to overdosing or more usual means of female suicide. Half of those dying had a previous psychiatric history.