Peer Reviewed
Psychological medicine
Perinatal mental illness: identifying and managing women at risk
Abstract
Mental illness occurring in pregnancy or the postpartum period is common and presents a risk for mother and child in both the short term and the long term. Early identification and early intervention can overcome some of the difficulties women have in accepting and accessing treatment.
Key Points
More than 250,000 babies are born each year in Australia. Increasingly they are no longer born into the traditional nuclear family but rather into families from diverse backgrounds and complex social circumstances, including non-English speaking families, refugees, single or separated parent households, parents who have an existing mental illness or drug/ alcohol addiction, and blended families.
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