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The new program will expand funding for existing national perinatal mental health and wellness services.
The Australian Government is supporting Intended Parents and New Parents by providing $ 13.6 million through its $ 43.9 million Perinatal Mental Health and Wellness Program to expand vital national perinatal mental health services under the line of Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia (PANDA) support.
Almost 100,000 Australian parents are affected by perinatal depression and anxiety each year. One in 10 women experiences this during pregnancy and one in seven in the year after birth. Men can also suffer from perinatal mental illnesses.
Reports say that since March 2020, the number of new callers to the PANDA helpline has doubled. In May 2020, the Australian government provided an additional $ 320,000 funding to the helpline and in September another $ 350,000 in funding to ensure that the helpline can meet the increased demand from parents affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in Victoria.
Trusted organizations across Australia will provide dedicated support for perinatal mental health, peer support for perinatal loss and bereavement, and perinatal mental health training and advocacy. This will complement the work that primary health networks are doing to ensure that personalized local mental health services are available on the ground in all communities.
The new program will expand funding for existing national perinatal mental health and wellness services, including:
- PANDA National Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Helpline
- Red Nose peer support and helpline
- Sand Helpline and Peer Support
- the MumSpace website (www.mumspace.com.au) which houses the MumMoodBooster treatment program and the MindMum smartphone app
This funding is based on the announced $ 1.3 million given to Sands Australia for an intensive support service to families affected by stillbirth, as well as $ 3 million for national education and awareness programs to demystify stillbirth and reduce its incidence. last year.
The Australian government continues to prioritize better mental health, with an unprecedented $ 5.7 billion spending on mental health in 2020-21.
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