Perinatal Mental Health Week highlights FSH services supporting new parents

For new mums and dads, coping with becoming parents can be challenging.

With 1 in 5 new mums and 1 in 10 new dads experiencing perinatal depression and anxiety, which is around 100,000 Australian parents each year, the Fiona Stanley Hospital (FSH) specialist perinatal mental health team provides critical support for new and expectant parents within the perinatal period.

Comprised of perinatal psychiatrists, doctors and nurses, the perinatal mental health consultation liaison team are available to support and treat new and expectant mums and their families right through the perinatal period; antenatally, during admissions and postnatally.

For mothers with substance use issues in the perinatal period, the Addiction Prevention Treatment Service – Perinatal offers a specialist perinatal psychiatrist/specialist Alcohol and Other Drug psychiatrist outpatient treatment during pregnancy and 12 months after delivery.

For mothers with severe mental health issues, the FSH Mother and Baby Unit (MBU) offers an inpatient stay to provide multi-disciplinary treatment in late pregnancy and during the postnatal period.

MBU Consultant Psychiatrist Maliththa Muwanwella said the MBU model of care focuses on the assessment and treatment of mental health issues and the attachment between mother and baby.

"We have a specialist team comprising of perinatal psychiatrist, trainee psychiatrist, resident medical officer, perinatal Psychologist, senior occupational therapist, senior maternity social worker, pharmacist, specialist mental health nurses, peer recovery workers, allied health assistants, and support of all other clinical specialties of the hospital," Maliththa said.

"Babies up to the age of 12 months can stay with their mother on the unit and together participate in a variety of therapeutic interventions, including individual sessions, group programs and nursing care. Patients may also be referred to other hospital departments such as maternity (midwife, and lactation consultants), if required.

"The environment is designed to support the mother in meeting her baby's needs and partners and families are encouraged to be involved in the mother's care as much as possible. The father or support person is encouraged to stay the whole or part of the admission with the mother and baby," Maliththa said.

The unit admits women living within the South Metropolitan Health Service catchment, as well as those living in rural and remote Western Australia, as a public or private patient. Admission to the unit is via referral by any clinician. Find out more about the Mother and Baby Mental Health Unit online. 

Perinatal Mental Health Week runs from 17-23 November 2024 and aims to raise awareness, provide information, referral pathway support and de-stigmatise perinatal mental health issues as a support for expectant and new parents during what will be one of the most vulnerable times in their life.

In the case of an emergency or crisis, please:

• dial 000 or visit your nearest emergency department
• phone the Mental Health Emergency Response Line (MHERL)
  • Metro callers phone 1300 555 788
  • Peel callers phone 1800 676 822

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