Mental Health in Pregnancy

Evidence & Translation
Mental Health screening

National guidelines recommend repeated screening for depression and anxiety for all women in the perinatal period. Routine screening in pregnancy is limited due to service, community and individual barriers. Background: Perinatal depression and perinatal anxiety affect up to 20% of all women.

Women of refugee background are at even greater risk for perinatal mental health conditions due to refugee experiences and resettlement stressors.

In response to these needs, we co-designed a screening program for women of refugee background with stakeholders from the maternity service, community-based refugee health and wellbeing service, non-government organisations and the community.

Learn more about our work and screening in other languages on the Centre of Perinatal Excellence (COPE) website.

Plain language statements for health professionals

Screening women of refugee background for depression and anxiety in pregnancy. What maternity health providers think.

Factors affecting the implementation of perinatal mental health screening in women of refugee background.

Plain language statements for women

Screening women of refugee background for depression and anxiety in pregnancy. What do women of refugee background think.

Factors affecting the implementation of perinatal mental health screening in women of refugee background.