Research themes and projects at the Centre for Womens Health, Gender and Society
Project title
Early Parenting Study - REPIT
Major research theme
Other research themes
Investigators
- A/Prof Jane Fisher, CWHGS, Melbourne School of Population Health, The University of Melbourne
- Dr Heather Rowe, CWHGS, Melbourne School of Population Health, The University of Melbourne
- Prof Julie Quinlivan, School of Medicine Sydney, The University of Notre Dame
- Dr Lyle Gurrin, Centre for MEGA Epidemiology, Melbourne School of Population Health, The University of Melbourne
Associate Investigators
- Ms Vivienne Amery, Tweddle Child and Family Health Service
Project Manager
- Dr Sonia Young, CWHGS, Melbourne School of Population Health, The University of Melbournee
Funding
- NHMRC Project Grant, 2007 - 2010, $376,375
Summary
Over 242,000 women give birth annually in Australia and up to 20% experience significant psychological distress in the baby’s first year. Severe fatigue, worrying and depression interfere with the development of maternal confidence. If a baby does not sleep well or feed easily or cries for prolonged periods, mothers can feel ineffective and helpless. Assistance early in a baby’s life is important to avoid long-term emotional and behavioural problems for mother and child. An intervention offering an alternative to psychiatric and pharmacological treatment for mothers with postnatal maternal mood disturbance and infants with unsettled behaviour includes a brief admission to a residential early parenting service. These services are in high demand, however the efficacy of this approach is unknown.
This project evaluates whether brief admission to a residential early parenting service has sustainable benefits for mild to moderate maternal mental health problems and for infant behaviour disturbance compared to standard primary health care. It also explores the health services and support networks used by mothers with young infants. Mothers experiencing psychological distress with a four-month-old infant reported to have unsettled behaviour are being contacted either at local government immunisation clinics or from two residential early parenting centres. Mothers and infants will be assessed with standardised psychological measures when their baby is six months and twelve months old. This study will be conducted in close collaboration with four local government areas of Melbourne and two residential early parenting centres; Tweddle Child and Family Health Services and Masada Private Hospital’s Mother Baby Unit.
Enquiries regarding this study may be directed to Dr Sonia Young, Project Manager on (03) 8344 0768 or youngsm@unimelb.edu.au