Health Professionals Resource Hub

Anxiety and depression affect up to one in five women and one in ten men in the perinatal period. Many struggle for weeks or months before seeking help, while others never get treatment.

Even after a health professional has identified an issue and offered referrals, many people still don’t get the support they need. How does this happen, and what can you do to help?

These are support options commonly offered to callers on the PANDA National Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Helpline.

This list is not exhaustive, but may help increase the choices you offer clients. Call PANDA to find services in your area.

Online mental health checklists for expecting and new mums and dads, or their partners/carers.

If you’re a new parent or expecting a baby, and you’re worried about how you’re feeling, talking to your doctor can be a good place to start. Here we provide tips on finding a doctor, sharing your concerns and what to expect from a consultation (website page and downloadable fact sheet).

Information that can help expecting and new parents understand what might be happening to them

Pregnancy and the first year of parenthood (the perinatal period) is an exciting time that also brings many new challenges and responsibilities. It is now recognised that around 1 in 20 men experience depression during pregnancy (antenatal) and up to 1 in 10 new dads struggle with depression following the birth of their baby (postnatal).

Many people find that pregnancy or having a baby is more challenging than they anticipated – this is a common experience of re-adjustment. For some however, the challenges become overwhelming. When this occurs, it is important to seek help. There are a range of health and community services that can assist you and there are many things that can be done, on a personal level, to reduce stress.

Up to 1 in 10 women and 1 in 20 men struggle with antenatal depression and more than 1 in 7 new mums and up to 1 in 10 new dads experience postnatal depression each year in Australia. Anxiety is just as common and many parents experience anxiety and depression at the same time.

Planning and having a baby is a time of adjustment and change. LGBTIQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Queer) families are like any other when it comes to starting a family, sometimes the community, family and friends, may not understand the journey undertaken in bringing a baby into the world. While there is an expectation of joy, sometimes these feelings can be overridden with stress, difficulties in adjusting to a new way of life, sleep-deprivation, anxiety and depression.

A range of physical, psychological and external factors can contribute to the development of perinatal anxiety and depression. Recovery depends on addressing all of these factors and often accessing professional help and support.

Having a baby is life-changing. It can deliver a lot of love, joy and fulfilment but it can also create demands and responsibilities that feel relentless, difficult and scary. Sometimes, parents have difficulty adjusting to the many physical, emotional, psychological and social challenges of parenting.

Brochures and postcards

• PANDA general service brochure - 'PANDA can help'
• How Is Dad Going Postcard
• Wellbeing Postcard

Posters

• PANDA Poster
• How Is Dad Going Poster

Our fact sheet Anxiety & Depression In Pregnancy & Early Parenthood can be downloaded as PDFs translated into the following languages:

• Chinese 中国
• Vietnamese tiếng Việt
• Urdu اردو
• Somali اف سومالى‎
• Arabic العربية

Help us increase understanding in your community about perinatal anxiety and depression and postnatal psychosis by sharing the articles and images in our digital toolkit.