Melissa fell through the gaps for post-natal anxiety help. A simple change is fixing that

Melissa Mendoza had a strong enough grasp of English to hold down a professional career, but after a traumatic experience giving birth, and isolated from her family, she struggled to find support in the right words to capture what she was going through.

Mendoza understood how what she was feeling might be treated in Peru, where she was born. Though mental health was “not very openly discussed”, those in need still knew how to find care.

Melissa Mendoza, who was born in Peru, found information about post-natal anxiety and depression difficult to access in a comprehensible way, even though her English is strong.Credit: Luis Enrique Ascui

Depression and anxiety was “actually seen as a curse, so maybe people would ask for healer support; it’s [considered to be] very spiritual”, says Mendoza, whose Melbourne-born daughter Aitana is now 2½.

Native Spanish speaker Mendoza found an abundance of information about baby care, but nothing that resonated with her own situation.

“My English is still very good, but I found it is not tested until you are unwell with a mental health condition,” she says. “I found it very interesting how much words [in what she could find online] didn’t resonate with me and didn’t even connect.”

One in five new mothers in Australia experience post-natal depression, but Mendoza found terminology in the support material of her adopted homeland “quite clinical, cold and Western”, and not relatable, despite the best support efforts of the local maternal and child health nurse.

“There was a gap between what I needed to hear and what was available … if you ask me, ‘Do you have depression or thoughts of suicide?’ it’s too confronting because I didn’t grow up listening to those words,” she says.

As a speaker of one of the 300 languages present in Australian society, Mendoza – who moved here nine years ago – also did not understand that it was safe to be open about her mental health, and that her child would not risk being removed if she did so.

She turned to podcasts to hear other women’s first-person stories, through which she heard a psychiatrist speaking in terms she felt “normalised” her depression and anxiety. Through therapy with that same psychiatrist, she could recover.

Learning about maternal mental health was such a turning point, it inspired Mendoza to transition out of corporate work and into supporting other new parents from diverse backgrounds with her own social enterprise, The Shift.

On Monday, the agency PANDA (Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia) released a resource it hopes will help reach speakers of the top 40 languages spoken in Australia, other than English.

Melissa Mendoza and daughter AitanaCredit: Luis Enruqie Ascui

It has produced its key mental health checklists for new parents in these languages, and had all of them vetted for cultural context and relevance.

PANDA chief executive Julie Borninkhof said increasing numbers of calls to its helpline from women from diverse backgrounds had revealed a lack of education about perinatal depression and anxiety.

“There’s shame in the Australian context [around being anxious or depressed as a new parent], let alone in the countries where we know they don’t even have the words to express mental vulnerabilities,” says Borninkhof.

The proportion of Australians born overseas has been consistently growing. As of 2023, more than 8.2 million people in Australia were born overseas, representing 30 per cent of the population.

Borninkhof said she hoped the multilingual checklists could provide the “missing link” for those sensing something was wrong to find a pathway to assistance.

“Even for our English-speaking community, knowing that something doesn’t feel right, and picking up the phone and seeking support often requires a step in between,” she said.

Beyond Blue chief executive Georgie Harman says research shows Australians from culturally and linguistically different backgrounds have lower access to health services.

“The transition into parenthood can have a massive effect on your mental health, and this can be particularly difficult for people who don’t speak English as a first language and who may not have strong community networks or family around them for support,” she says.

“This is why resources that break down the language and cultural barriers people face are vitally important.”

For perinatal mental health support resources, visit PANDA here. If you or anyone you know needs support call Lifeline 131 114, or Beyond Blue 1300 224 636.