As a perinatal mental health researcher working at St John of God Burwood Hospital and the University of New South Wales, I focus on improving the understanding of how pregnancy and parenthood can affect a woman’s emotional wellbeing and how we can work together with clinicians to achieve the best outcomes for women and families.
My doctoral research, published in 2013, highlighted a lack of mental health screening for women who had chosen to deliver their baby in the private sector.
I am proud to say this work contributed to the Commonwealth Government’s decision to fund, through Medicare, depression screening and psychosocial assessments by general practitioners and obstetricians.
This, on top of my colleague Professor Marie-Paule Austin’s antenatal risk questionnaire (ANRQ) being added to the national guidelines, is a great outcome because it means that assessing and supporting a woman’s broader emotional and social wellbeing will become a part of routine care.
Our research team is also currently leading a large scale study – the ‘PIPA Project’ - that will provide evidence to guide the most clinically and cost-effective approach to implementing best-practice models for integrated depression screening and psychosocial assessment during pregnancy.
Results from this important work will inform maternity services planning and guide efforts to maximise health system efficiency and sustainability.
