A new residential care home for mothers experiencing post-natal depression and other mental health challenges before and after birth has been proposed by the Liberals.
An Assembly committee inquiry into maternity services in the ACT held in June this year found there was a "lack of access to and provision of mental health supports and services in and across the maternity care continuum".
In its submission to the inquiry, the post and ante natal depression support and information service (PANSI) found the number of clients it cared for annually had increased by almost a third over the past five years, with more than one in every seven new mothers experiencing post-natal depression.
The services of registered mental and child health (MACH) nurses are offered in the ACT to support new parents with information and health advice, but the system is under pressure with 6090 babies born in the territory last year.
The service says the latest available data "translates to potentially 620 women and 310 partners with antenatal depression [and] 886 mothers and 620 partners with postnatal depression".
"The addition of anxiety sufferers could potentially almost double these numbers," the submission stated.
"The waiting list to access PANDSI services regularly grows to 4 weeks and pressure persists on the organisation's capacity to meet demand."
The service recommended a dedicated residential care unit with "a greater focus [to] be placed on the care of ACT's multicultural communities".
The residential care home would provide holistic care to Canberra women experiencing severe anxiety, depression and, in more extreme circumstances, mania and psychosis which can occur soon after giving birth.
Liberal health spokeswoman Vicki Dunne said the new facility would be centrally located and designed to accommodate both the mother and her baby.
"Mothers can often experience feelings of extreme anxiety and depression soon after giving birth," Mrs Dunne said.
"If not treated properly, it can have a significant impact on the entire family unit.
"We want to provide a model of care that will help see these mothers through the dark days so they can get back on their feet."
