Even the most remote new and expecting mums will be taken care of by the TCHHS perinatal and infant mental health service team. Photo: Supplied.
The mental health of expectant and new mothers throughout Cape York is at the forefront of a new service by the Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service (TCHHS).
The perinatal and infant mental health service includes two travelling clinicians and a psychiatrist, and has already been embraced by local women and their families since it began last month.
The service was launched as part of the State Government’s $1.64 billion Better Care Together program, from which TCHHS received almost $2.7 million over five years.
Perinatal and infant mental health clinician Louise Gawler said one in five women experienced perinatal anxiety, with one in seven suffering perinatal depression.
“That’s why it’s imperative that we have a perinatal and infant mental health service in Torres and Cape to meet the needs of all women and their infants through the perinatal period and beyond,” she said.
“We also know through research that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have a higher rate of mental illness to the general population, and are the least likely to engage in mental health services.”
Perinatal and infant mental health clinician Sarah Davies-Roe also said the new service was imperative in an isolated region like Cape York.
“There are a range of risk factors that contribute to vulnerability and research has shown that those living in rural and remote areas, or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women do have an increased vulnerability,” she said.
“There is no health without positive mental health.”
TCHHS acting executive director nursing and midwifery services Sarah Worth said the service would also work closely with local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers to ensure cultural safety for the women involved.
“This is such an essential service, and we understand the vulnerability of the women in our region and how important it is to offer it as close to home as possible,” she said.
“We have recruited a highly skilled team who are extremely experienced in the area of perinatal mental health, and I believe this service is going to make a significant difference for women and their families in our communities.”
