Abstract
Adjusting to motherhood can be a difficult period, with significant changes to routines, lifestyle, and relationships. For some new mothers, individual circumstances can be associated with difficulty adjusting to the changes a new baby brings, and these experiences can lead to poorer mental health and mother-infant relationship difficulties. Early identification and intervention for mothers who are experiencing difficulties in adjusting to a new baby can reduce distress and protect against further deterioration of the mother's mental health, thereby supporting positive experiences with their baby and overall wellbeing. Community-based group-based interventions for new mothers have demonstrated efficacy to improve mental health symptoms and prevent common postpartum psychological disorders and support the quality of the mother-infant relationship.
The term co-design is considered in research to describe working with consumers from the creation of an idea through to the implementation of an intervention. To determine local relevance to mothers in Western Australia, a contemporary, innovative, and participatory approach of consumer co-design guided the ongoing development of a perinatal mental health intervention: New Beginnings. Incorporating the lived experience from mothers as knowledge experts, in tandem with guidance from mental health clinicians ensured the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ASCQHC) standard 2 was addressed effectively. “Patients are partners in their own care” demands collaboration between stakeholders to deliver high-quality health care. Internationally, consumer co-design has been established as imperative across the perinatal period due to association with improved intervention efficacy.
This engaging presentation will showcase the translation of empirical research findings alongside our application of the recommendations offered within a national strategy for working with consumers in women's health research applied to the perinatal mental health setting. The results of lived experience captured within a statewide survey and facilitation of a focus group with members of the New Beginnings program offers perinatal mental health personnel attending the presentation an opportunity to gain knowledge and confidence around engaging consumer and community involvement to inform innovative service delivery design.