Key Points
- New research has found 55 per cent of new parents do not know the signs of perinatal depression and anxiety.
- PNDA impacts about 100,000 new parents in Australia each year.
- Factors such as living rurally or cultural expectations can add complications.
This story contains reference to suicide
For Stephanie Trethewey, career had always been one of her biggest priorities, and professional success was a large part of her identity.
When she had her first child in 2019, everything changed.
As she grappled with the difficulties of parenting a baby with colic who wasn't sleeping, she also started experiencing symptoms of depression.
"I had placed a lot of my self-worth and value on my career; I was always very career driven and felt like I was in the driver's seat of my life in a lot of ways," she said.
"As soon as I became a mum I lost control and I was not at all prepared for what that meant ... no matter how many books you read or people you talk to, it's indescribable and it's so different for everybody.
"I felt like I lost myself. I didn't know who I was anymore."
When their baby was six months old, Ms Trethewey and her husband relocated from Melbourne to Central North Tasmania to start a beef business.
After the move and the birth of her second child, Ms Trethewey says her mental health struggles intensified.
"I had no access to a mother's group, I didn't have any family here, I didn't have friends here, I didn't know anyone here ... I felt geographically isolated and socially isolated," she said.
She eventually sought professional help and a GP prescribed a mental health plan, but she struggled to access specialist services due to her rural location.
Steph Trethewey started Motherland to support the health and wellbeing of rural mothers across Australia. Source: Supplied / Ness Vanderburgh
As well as the logistical difficulties of accessing support in remote locations, she believes parents in rural locations face added challenges and social pressures.
"I think (in rural communities) there is this pressure to be resilient," she said.
"There is this idea that we're just tougher out here and we do deal with a lot when it comes to pressures of farming ... but it also makes it harder for rural people to ask for help, because they think they have to be the tough Aussie battler."
How common is perinatal depression?
Perinatal refers to a period of time encompassing pregnancy and the first year after birth, while postnatal refers specifically to the time immediately after birth.
According to the Gidget Foundation Australia - a not-for-profit organisation that supports the emotional wellbeing of expectant and new parents - perinatal depression and anxiety (PNDA) affects almost 100,000 expectant and new parents in Australia each year.
The foundation has released new research to coincide with World Maternal Mental Health Day on 3 May, which found 55 per cent of new parents do not know how to spot the signs of PNDA.
Chris Barnes, clinical psychologist at the Gidget Foundation Australia, says most people will have a combination of several symptoms.
"There are signs of depression, like feeling sad, empty, hopeless, crying more than usual, loss of interest in things you would usually find joyful ... people can often move more slowly, or be quite agitated, not having motivation for life, loss of energy and fatigue," she said.
"There are also physical symptoms; things like changing appetite, sleep, headaches, even panic attacks.
"Then the most serious symptoms are thoughts of death, self-harm or even a suicide attempt."
According to the Gidget Foundation, PNDA impacts approximately one in five new mothers and one in 10 new fathers.
Cultural expectations can add complexity
For Cathy Ngo, her cultural heritage added to the difficulty in addressing perinatal mental health issues.
Ms Ngo, who is Vietnamese-Australian, says she had always struggled with her mental health, but her depression became exacerbated after the birth of her first child.
Cathy Ngo says she struggled with cultural expectations and family pressure after having her first child. Source: Supplied / Cathy Ngo
"In my family, we don't talk about our emotions, or when we do it's seen as a weakness or being really sensitive ... so I grew up in that environment of thinking that I always had to be stoic and never show any emotion."
Ms Ngo says her depression reached a point where she "just wanted to disappear".
"There were times when I thought about not wanting to live, I did get to that stage where I just wanted to disappear," she said.
"I felt like I lost my identity."
She did not seek professional support until a year later, after she had a miscarriage.
Today, Ms Ngo is able to manage her mental health with professional support and medication, and is passionate about reducing stigma, particularly for those struggling with the intersection of culture and mental health.
"Not many people talk about it ... there is not much conversation around the cultural nuances," she said.
"I would encourage anyone who needs to seek help, or have an inkling that something isn't right, go to your GP and get a referral for a mental health plan."
Readers seeking crisis support can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14, the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467 and Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 (for young people aged up to 25).
Readers seeking support with mental health can contact Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636. More information is available at .
supports people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
