Amidst the overwhelming feelings of love and joy of having a baby, more than 100,000 Australian mothers each year also find themselves in anxiety and depression.
Some even think their baby or 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 had postnatal depression, revealing the trauma, sadness, fear, and panic that many of them endured in silence.
But in a global initiative, a digital screening tool has been developed to help in the early diagnosis of depression and postnatal anxiety to help prevent more women from suffering alone.
The tool, known as iCOPE, is available in 12 languages.
Nicole Highet says using a digital detection platform gives women more privacy.
In Victoria, Warrnambool and Camperdown Public Hospitals in the southwest of the state are among the first in the country to use the tool that can save lives.
Melbourne-based Nicole Highet has spent her career studying perinatal mental health and is the founder and CEO of the Center for Perinatal Excellence (COPE), Australia’s premier body for reducing the impact of perinatal mental health. depression and post and prenatal anxiety.
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 so far, perinatal mental health screening had been “sporadic” in Australia.
She said part of the reason new moms didn’t talk about their mental health was the ubiquitous pressure on social media to be a #yummymummy, to look beautiful and feel wonderful.
“There are several reasons why women don’t talk soon,” Dr. Highet said.
“There are often high expectations that having a baby is supposed to be such a wonderful time in life. Everything is supposed to be beautiful and just like on social media and Instagram images,” she said.
“When people don’t have these experiences, they often feel that they are failing both as an individual and as a mother.”
Dr. Highet said this could make women feel too embarrassed to reveal their real experiences to their doctor.
He said research had shown that using a digital detection platform like iCOPE gave women more privacy and could be less confrontational than telling a doctor how bad they felt inside.
After asking a series of questions, both the healthcare professional and the patient receive a report telling them what their results mean and where they can access the help.
Motherhood is the most vulnerable time
Research from the Center for Perinatal Excellence shows that throughout a woman’s life, she is more vulnerable to anxiety or depression when she becomes a mother.
Dr. Highet says that for many women, becoming a mother can be a challenging time. (Unsplash: Garret Jackson)
“We know that the time to have a baby has always been the most vulnerable time when it comes to mental health conditions,” Dr. Highet said.
Research also shows that more than 74% of these women do not seek help until they reach a crisis point.
But seeking help at that time may be too late.
“We know that the leading cause of maternal death is suicide, and that is because these conditions are not identified,” she said.
Dr. Highet said the truth about becoming a new mother was that there were many unexpected challenges and many women went through them.
“Experiencing mental health issues, experiencing changes in your body image, having a birth that did not go as planned, dealing with sleep deprivation or an unresolved child, all these different challenges can arise and have a Significant impact on women ‘s well – being and mental health, “she said.
If you or someone you know needs help:
“People just feel like they’re the only ones going through this.”
The new program is federally funded and will be provided to all hospitals, GPs, obstetricians and maternal and child health services in Australia.
Dr. Highet said the reason it was being launched in the Southwest was because of the passion and interest of local maternal and mental health providers who had advocated for access to iCope.
“They’ve been waiting for him for a long time,” he said.
South West Healthcare Executive Director of Nursing and Midwifery Gaynor Stevenson said perinatal anxiety and depression were serious problems facing the Victorian community in the Southwest.
“Warrnambool and Camperdown Hospitals are delighted to be 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 parenting, visit the COPE website or call Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia (PANDA) 1300 726 306 for immediate help.
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Posted 2 hours, 2 hours ago, Saturday, May 28, 2022 at 11:06 PM, updated 2 hours, 2 hours ago, Saturday, May 28, 2022 at 11:17 PM