Mater partners with Queensland Health in first centre of its kind for Queensland parents

Queensland is to get its first integrated mental health care centre dedicated to new mums, following shocking revelations in The Courier-Mail’s Through the Cracks mental health campaign. SEE THE PLANS

Mater Hospital will open Queensland’s first integrated peri-natal mental health care centre next year in the renovated Sisters of Mercy Convent.

Catherine’s House for Mothers, Babies and Families will address the urgent support needs for parents experiencing depression, anxiety and other issues after the birth of a new baby.

Artist's impression of Catherine's House, opening 2023 on the back of The Courier Mail's 2021 Through the Cracks mental health campaign

Brisbane mother Mary-Anne Richardson, experienced postnatal depression after the birth of two of her children and said being able to stay with her baby while receiving treatment and care had been critical in her return to mental wellness.

One in five mothers experience peri-natal mental health challenges, something Mrs Richards spoke candidly about last November as part of the Courier-Mail’s Through the Cracks mental health campaign.

“I became so desperate, I wanted to take my own life,” Mrs Richardson said.

She spoke about her experience in a mental health ward shortly after giving birth where she faced the possibility of forced electroconvulsive therapy, before receiving treatment at a mother and baby unit.

“It changed my life,” she said of being able to maintain mother-child attachment vital to her recovery and her baby’s care.

Mary-Anne Richardson with Fleur, 9, Henry, 8, and Elle, 4, pictured at their home in Sherwood. Mary-Anne suffered peri-natal depression after the birth of her first child. (Image/Josh Woning)

The Through the Cracks campaign prompted an inquiry highlighting the state government’s lack of spending on mental health, after which it announced the $1.6bn mental-health plan, Better Care Together.

Queensland Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said the funding for Catherine’s House was part of the plan.

“This will triple the number of public inpatient beds available in Queensland from four to twelve for mothers and babies in need of specialist treatment,” Ms D’Ath said.

Mater Chief Executive Officer Dr Peter Steer said Catherine’s House would open its doors to patients in mid-2023 providing a place where parents can stay with their babies while receiving care.

Artist's impression of Catherine's House interview room, opening 2023 on the back of The Courier Mail's 2021 Through the Cracks mental health campaign.

It will also deliver a parent support centre for mothers and babies up to six months after birth, a home-visiting service, individual and group therapy treatments and private psychiatry and psychology consultations.

“As Australia’s largest maternity services provider, these services ensure that the wellbeing of mothers and babies remains at the heart of Mater,” Dr Steer said.

Catherine's House floor plan, opening 2023 on the back of The Courier Mail's 2021 Through the Cracks mental health campaign.