Beyond Blue is encouraging friends, partners and family members to check in on loved ones who are expecting, or have recently welcomed a new baby as Perinatal Depression and Anxiety Awareness Week gets underway.
If you or someone you know is struggling, the Mental Health Checklist for Mums on the Beyond Blue website is a great first step to helping new parents get the support they need.
The Checklist – the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale – can be done in private and takes just minutes to complete.
It is designed to give new and expectant parents an immediate snapshot of how their mental health is tracking as well as next steps and details on where to find additional support.
Beyond Blue CEO Georgie Harman said friends and partners can play a vital role in helping new parents get the support they need, and the Checklist was a great place to start.
“The birth of a baby is a life-changing event and one of the most exciting experiences anyone can have, but it can also be daunting and isolating for many people,” Ms Harman said.
“Getting mental health support as early as possible is so important and that’s why the Checklist is a great first step, especially for parents who want to focus on what’s most important in their lives… their new baby.”
Feeling stressed and anxious is very common among new parents but left untreated, these issues can develop into more serious mental health conditions such as postnatal depression in both women and men.
- 1 in 10 women will experience depression during pregnancy
- 1 in six new mothers will experience postnatal depression
- Anxiety is just as common, and many expecting and new parents can experience both anxiety and depression
Beyond Blue has a range of free perinatal support and resources available online for new mums:
healthyfamilies.beyondblue.org.au/newmums