Shining a light on the mental health and wellbeing in the perinatal period

This week, Mental Health Australia acknowledges and celebrates Perinatal Mental Health Week. This year's theme is ‘What You Need, When You Need It’ and aims to raise awareness, strengthen understanding and ensure every parent has access to the right support at the right time. In honour of Perinatal Mental Health Week, we are delighted to have Gidget Foundation Australia CEO Arabella Gibson contribute this week’s message. Gidget Foundation Australia is a national not-for-profit mental health organisation supporting the emotional wellbeing of expectant and new parents and their families.

Arabella has led Gidget Foundation Australia for over eight years and has a passion for improving support systems for expectant and new parents by building emotionally resilient families. Under her leadership, the Gidget Foundation has expanded its mental health support for expectant and new parents nationwide. It operates 36 Gidget House sites providing face-to-face pscyhology support across five states and offers telehealth, group therapy, and peer support programs. Arabella also pioneered a workforce development initiative, creating Australia’s first Graduate Diploma in Perinatal Mental Health. She serves as a Non-Executive Director for Future Women and Motherland, supporting women’s advancement and rural mothers.

Carolyn Nikoloski, CEO

Mental Health Australia

This year’s Perinatal Mental Health Week (23-29 November) sees a record 68 organisations uniting to highlight mental health challenges experienced during the perinatal period.

Perinatal Mental Health Week presents a sector-wide opportunity to raise awareness of the challenges faced by parents with a focus on reducing stigma, raising awareness, educating health professionals, and aligning the perinatal mental health sector. It also aims to strengthen advocacy for improved screening, referral and treatment pathways for those who may be struggling with their mental health during their perinatal journey.

Over the past few years, this national event has gone from strength to strength, galvanising the sector through impactful messages and a unified call to action focused on the critical need to support families during this crucial period.

This year’s theme, '“What You Need, When You Need It”, drives awareness that timely, tailored support can make all the difference for parents navigating the perinatal period. The theme recognises the diversity of needs within the community and emphasises the importance of meeting people where they are, without judgement or delay.

With one in five mothers and one in ten fathers impacted by perinatal depression and anxiety (PNDA), around 100,000 Australians each year are affected, and the cost is immense. Maternal suicide remains a leading cause of death in the perinatal period, and poor perinatal mental health can affect pregnancy outcomes, parent-infant attachment, family relationships and long-term feelings of self-worth for parents and partners. Additionally, PNDA costs the Australian economy around $877m annually, comprising $227m in health costs; $643m in economic costs; and $7m in wellbeing costs. (Source: The Cost of Perinatal Depression and Anxiety in Australia.  PricewaterhouseCoopers Consulting (Australia) Pty Ltd November 2019.)

Support, however, is available for all parents. Whether they are at the start of their conception journey, pregnant or a new parent, there are resources and services designed to help all parents feel supported, informed, and less alone.

The Perinatal Mental Health Support Finder, available on the Perinatal Mental Health Week website, connects parents to tailored resources and services designed to reflect an array of individual circumstances. The site draws on the collaborative resources of the sector and provides families with a great starting point for improving mental health. It is our collective hope that no parent faces perinatal mental health challenges alone.

Ultimately, the message for this year’s Perinatal Mental Health Week theme is clear: help is available, accessible, and adaptable - no matter what your experience looks like, or when you choose to reach out.

Arabella Gibson

Chief Executive Officer, Gidget Foundation Australia