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Hollyoaks have revealed what's next for Cleo McQueen following a traumatic birth with her first child. The Channel 4 soap will explore Postpartum Psychosis (PP) as Cleo, played by Nadine Mulkerrin, struggles with her mental health after welcoming baby son, Joseph. Action on Postpartum Psychosis (APP) have advised on the storyline. APP report that around 1,200 cases of PP occur each year in the UK. On screen this week, Cleo went into early labour at 28 weeks pregnant and, assisted by Dodger Savage (Danny Mac), was rushed to hospital. After giving birth, Cleo haemorrhaged and required emergency medical attention. Baby Joseph needs to stay in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit due to being premature. Cleo, who fell ill after childbirth, is later given the green light by doctors to go home. Red flags start to appear when, at first, she doesn't believe her baby is hers. This quickly progresses when Cleo starts losing track of time and feels guilty for struggling to produce milk. Cleo’s girlfriend Sienna Blake (Anna Passey) moves into the McQueens house to help support the new mum. The storyline follows Cleo and her support system - Sienna, Dodger, and her McQueen family – as they convince her to seek help when they start noticing her concerning behaviour. Cleo will be treated in a general psychiatric ward, she’s not able to go to a Mother and Baby Unit due to Joseph being in the NICU unit. For this issue-based storyline, Hollyoaks have worked with national charity Action on Postpartum Psychosis (APP), whose peer support forum includes over 3,800 people with lived experience. APP have consulted with the cast members involved and advised on the storytelling process. APP have reported that many mothers with PP do not experience any symptoms of depression at all, rather they experience extreme elation, spirituality, and quickly lose contact with reality. The majority of women therefore are unable to seek help for themselves and others must obtain help for them. The charity also states that PP should always be treated as a medical emergency but that, with the right treatment, most women go on to make a full recovery. Nadine, who plays Cleo, said: "It's been a new challenge taking on the role of motherhood and the difficulties that being a new mum can bring, especially the strain it can have on your mental health. "We had a consultation with APP [Action on Postpartum Psychosis] whilst filming this storyline and it was helpful to hear other people's experiences - my heart breaks for poor Cleo." Dr Jess Heron, CEO, Action on Postpartum Psychosis said “Responsible portrayals of PP on popular TV shows such as Hollyoaks are invaluable. "With greater public awareness, partners, friends, family members and frontline health professionals will be more able to quickly spot the signs and seek specialist emergency help as soon as possible. "We’re grateful to Hollyoaks for playing a part in awareness raising and for their diligent approach to producing a sensitive and accurate storyline." For support or more information about postpartum psychosis, visit www.app-network.org Hollyoaks airs Monday to Wednesday on E4 at 7pm and first look episodes can be streamed Channel 4 from 7am
