Women’s health and wellbeing in the spotlight with new ACT Perinatal Mental Health Alliance
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Behind every new parent’s smile, there can be a hidden struggle.
The statistics are sobering: one in five women experiences perinatal anxiety and depression, and tragically, suicide remains a leading cause of death for new mothers in their baby’s first year. But a super alliance is launching in Canberra to help support parents when they need it most.
Aiming to address the stigma attached to perinatal mental health, support early detection and encourage proactive help seeking, the Perinatal Mental Health Alliance wants to change how we support families during one of life’s most vulnerable periods.
From pregnancy through to a child’s second birthday, data shows the critical timeframe can bring unexpected mental health challenges. The alliance aims to change that by addressing stigma head-on, supporting early detection, and removing the barriers that prevent parents from getting help when they need it most.
“We need to build a community that wraps around parents-to-be and new parents to ensure they feel supported and connected and can access the supports they need to remain healthy and provide their child the best start in life,” says Lisa Kelly, CEO of Mental Health Community Coalition.
The alliance brings together 11 community organisations, including the ACT Health and Community Services Directorate, the Domestic Violence Crisis Service, Families ACT, Karinya House, MHCC ACT, Perinatal Wellbeing Centre, Toora (including Parentline), Women’s Centre for Health Matters, Youth Coalition of the ACT and YWCA Canberra.
The collaboration emerged from compelling new research showing that during the perinatal period – from pregnancy to a child’s second birthday – one in five expecting or new birth parents will experience anxiety and depression symptoms. For partners, that figure is one in 10. The risk is even higher for First Nations families and those from culturally diverse or economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
“Experiencing mental health challenges while pregnant or as a new parent is very real, but not inevitable. There is much we can do to prevent the onset of mental ill-health. This new Alliance provides a great opportunity to promote prevention, while also helping parents to know where to get help when they need it,” says Dr Yvonne Luxford, CEO of Perinatal Wellbeing Centre.
Minister for Mental Health Rachel Stephen-Smith sees the alliance as a vital step in strengthening the connections between service providers, community members and parents.
“This Alliance, part of the Health and Community Services Directorate’s Perinatal Mental Health Project, aims to elevate perinatal wellbeing by providing a platform for community members, government, service providers, and people with lived and living experience to share their insights and expertise,” she says.
Designed as a try-test-learn pilot, the initiative focuses on strengthening existing services while fostering greater collaboration across the sector. The hope is that the initiative will not only improve outcomes for birth parents, partners and families but also increase positive outcomes for children, particularly during the critical first five years, which are essential to developing brains.
Representing a significant step forward in ensuring every family gets the support they deserve during one of life’s most important journeys, the message is clear: no parent should struggle in silence.
