Amid the overwhelming feelings of love and joy that having a baby brings, more than 100,000 Australian mothers each year also experience anxiety and depression.
Some even think their baby or their partner would be better off if they weren’t around.
A recent episode of you can’t ask that explored the personal experiences of women who suffered from postpartum depression, revealing the trauma, sadness, fear and panic that many of them endured in silence.
But in a world-first initiative, a digital screening tool has been developed to aid in the early diagnosis of postpartum depression and anxiety to help prevent more women from suffering alone.
The tool, known as iCOPE, is available in 12 languages.
In Victoria, Warrnambool and Camperdown public hospitals in the south-west of the state are among the first in the country to use the potentially life-saving tool.
Melbourne-based Nicole Highet has spent her career studying perinatal mental health and is the founder and CEO of the Perinatal Center of Excellence (COPE), Australia’s leading body for reducing the impacts of postnatal depression and anxiety and prenatal
The center developed the iCOPE tool during COVID-19 when many women were unable to access their regular maternal health appointments.
Dr Highet said that until now, perinatal mental health assessment had been “sporadic” in Australia.
She said part of the reason new moms didn’t talk about their mental health was the pervasive pressure from social media to be a #yummymummy, to look beautiful and feel wonderful.
“There are a number of reasons women don’t speak up early,” said Dr. Highet.
“There are often high expectations that having a baby is supposed to be such a wonderful period of life. Everything is supposed to be beautiful and just like in social media and Instagram pictures,” she said.
Dr. Highet said this could make women too embarrassed to reveal their true experiences to their doctor.
She said research had shown that using a digital screening platform like iCOPE gave women greater privacy and could be less confrontational than telling a doctor how bad they felt inside.
After completing a series of questions, both the healthcare professional and the patient receive a report that tells them what their results mean and where they can access help.
Motherhood is the most vulnerable moment
Research from the Perinatal Center of Excellence shows that throughout a woman’s life, she is most vulnerable to anxiety or depression when she becomes a mother.
“We know that the time of having a baby has always been the most vulnerable time in terms of mental health conditions,” said Dr. Highet.
Research also shows that more than 74 percent of these women do not seek help until they reach a crisis point.
But seeking help then can sometimes be too late.
“We know that the leading cause of maternal death is suicide, and this is because these conditions are not identified,” he said.
Dr. Highet said the truth of becoming a new mom is that there were a lot of unexpected challenges and a lot of women went through them.
“Experiencing mental health issues, experiencing changes in your body image, having a birth that didn’t go as planned, dealing with a lack of sleep or a restless child, all of these different challenges can come up and have a significant impact on a child’s life. a woman. wellness and her mental health,” she said.
The new program is funded by the federal government and will be provided to all hospitals, GPs, obstetricians and maternal and child health services across Australia.
Dr. Highet said the reason it was implemented in the Southwest was because of the passion and interest of local maternal and mental health providers who had been advocating for access to iCope.
“They have been waiting for it for a long time,” he said.
South West Healthcare chief nursing and midwifery manager Gaynor Stevenson said perinatal anxiety and depression were serious issues facing the south-west Victoria community.
“Warrnambool and Camperdown Hospitals are delighted to become two of the first public hospitals in Victoria to use the iCOPE tool,” he said.
If you or someone you know is having difficulty adjusting to parenthood, visit the COPE website or call Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia (PANDA) 1300 726 306 for immediate help.
Aware 8 hours ago8 hours agoSat 28 May 2022 at 23:06, updated 7 hours ago7 hours agoSat 28 May 2022 at 23:17
.
