Alarming number of new Victorian mums seeking help for mental illness
A tsunami of new mums is being admitted to specialty units to help with anxiety, depression and post-partum psychosis, as they struggle with loneliness, conflicting information and picture-perfect Instagram ideals.
VIC News
Don't miss out on the headlines from VIC News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Hundreds of Victorian mums are struggling with serious mental illnesses, sometimes life-threatening, before and after giving birth according to new data.
The Herald Sun can reveal 452 women were admitted to one of the state’s six special parent and infant units last financial year suffering crippling anxiety, postnatal depression and post-partum psychosis.
Among them was Jessica, 36, who stopped eating and sleeping due to anxiety after baby Eden was born.
“I have had anxiety my whole life, but it snowballed,” she told the Herald Sun.
“I shudder to think what would have happened if I didn’t have access to the program.
“It really did save my life.”
Jessica stayed at the unit for seven weeks where she received help for her condition, as well as access to sleep and lactation consultants.
Looking back she said her situation had been aggravated by conflicting advice from nurses, and doctors, coupled with picture-perfect Instagram mums.
Alarmingly, she is not a one-off case with 1378 women entering the program during the past three financial years.
Minister for Mental Health Martin Foley said new mums and dads were especially vulnerable.
MORE NEWS
OVERLAND STEPS AWAY FROM COUNCIL ROLE
DATING APP STRANGLER’S CHILLING GOOGLE HISTORY
NOTORIOUS AU PAIR ACCUSED OF POSING AS NURSE
“The challenges of being a new parent are significant and with around one in 10 women experiencing peri-natal mental illness we know there’s more to be done in supporting them,” he said.
“Too many Victorians are slipping through the cracks. We need to build a co-ordinated, quality mental health system that supports people when they need it most — that’s why we established the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System.”
The interim report from the commission is expected by the end of the year.