Today (1 May) is World Maternal Mental Health Day, an opportunity to remind ourselves about the importance of suppporting new parents on their perinatal mental health journeys. Clinical Director of Gidget Foundation Australia, Karen Edwards, shares this piece about the new digital connections that are transforming perinatal mental health care.
Pregnancy and parenthood represent a unique period in an individual’s life, but alongside the joy and excitement, new and complex emotions can also occur. Data from Gidget Foundation Australia (GFA) highlights the challenges faced by expectant and new parents, revealing nearly a third of Australian parents with children under five wish they had more support, while a further one in three seek validation by comparing their own parenting to the experiences of others.
With over 100,000 Australian parents affected by perinatal depression and anxiety (PNDA) annually, the impacts of PNDA are wide – underscoring the need for an ongoing commitment to supporting parents across their journey.
Isolation and inadequate access to safe and culturally responsive support are key risk factors for developing perinatal mental health issues. These factors can also present as some of the most challenging barriers for parents to overcome when seeking help.
Fortunately, in the evolving digital world, social media and online services are available to assist parents navigating access to support. Further data from GFA highlights the transformative power of online spaces, with over a third of Australian parents reporting feeling validated when they hear stories from other parents, while nearly half feel social media has provided them with useful parenting information.
World Maternal Mental Health Day (1 May), serves as a timely reminder about the importance of supporting parents on their perinatal mental health journey, and exploring new ways to connect. To encourage open conversations tackling the stigma around PNDA, GFA launched its first podcast series, 1 in 5 mothers, 1 in 10 fathers last year, and is now delighted to be launching series two!
Named after the one in five mothers and one in ten fathers who are affected by PNDA each year, the podcast hosted by Davina Smith profiles a different parent’s journey each episode. As well as providing an opportunity for parents to articulate their experiences, the stories also showcase to the listeners how diverse and unique the parenting journey can be.
Social media and online spaces have revolutionised the way perinatal mental health care can be approached, offering new ways to deliver education, prevention and treatment interventions in psychological care.
The advent of telehealth has also widened the scope of counselling availability for Australian parents considerably, providing parents in remote areas, time-poor parents or sole caregivers timely access to services without the barriers of extensive waiting times, childcare challenges, or long-distance travel.
Online forums, apps and podcasts offer convenient, anonymous, and safe spaces to support and learn from others. Open conversations and shared lived experiences can play a powerful role in reducing the stigma surrounding perinatal mental health issues. They can also help other parents realise they are not alone, and support is readily available.
For the launch of the series two podcast, GFA has spoken to a wide range of parents who have shared deeply personal stories on topics not commonly talked about. By discussing challenges associated with IVF and infertility, grief and loss, single parenting, multiple births, ADHD as a parent and financial changes during pregnancy and early parenthood, the series aims to educate and promote awareness around these surprisingly common issues.
Utilising GFA clinicians for round table discussions, the series is also able to provide practical and educational insights, tips and support strategies.
As technology and the digitisation of services continues to evolve, it is critical that treatment and support options continue to develop to not only incorporate these mediums but embrace and optimise them.
At Gidget Foundation Australia, parents are supported through a range of stepped care digital and face to face services, including website resources and fact sheets, online community groups, in-hospital screening programs and individual psychological interventions.
If you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms of PNDA including feeling sad, anxious or irritable, feeling disconnected or isolated from others, or noticing physical symptoms like tearfulness, changes in appetite, sleep or energy levels, talk to your GP, midwife or other trusted health care provider for professional advice and referral where appropriate. It can also be helpful to connect with other parents, so you know you are not alone.