Especificaciones

There were four main suggestions to overcome challenges in regards to support services. These suggestions included the addition of an acute care facility, or mother and baby unit, in the north, more diversity and greater availability of support services at the current parenting centres, continued support systems in place for referral for the HCPs, and the possible inclusion of music as a therapy for women with PND.

4.8.3.1 Acute care

Nearly all of the HCPs and all of the women who received in-patient care suggested that there would be great benefits to mothers and their families if there were a mother and baby unit in the north of Tasmania for those who resided in the north and northwest regions and needed long term in-patient care. One woman who received in-patient care shared her experience.

I was in Hobart with the baby, and my husband and our other children were in Launceston. He would come when he could but it would still be several days before we would see each other again. He even had to take off work to be in Hobart sometimes. It would have been so much easier if there was a mother-baby unit in Launceston. (Woman 6)

Another woman stated:

It was so hard. I was in Hobart and my husband was in [a rural town]. He never knew what was going on. It was hard for him and it was hard for me. It would have been nice to have had some counselling together while I was at the mother-baby unit. (Woman 9)

It was further suggested that there should be more accessibility to the mother and baby unit for those who did not have private health care cover. One HCP stated:

There are women who need the care but just can’t access it because they don’t have health insurance or it’s just too expensive. Some women need in- patient care and if they don’t have cover they might be sent to the

psychiatric ward and that’s just not a good place for a woman with her baby. That would make it [the depression and anxiety] worse. (HCP 21)

4.8.3.2 Parenting centres and women’s groups

It was recommended by more than half of the HCPs that it would be beneficial to have more services available at the parenting centres and family and child centres. They further indicated that the centres are already available and have been built for the purpose of supporting parents and their children. One HCP suggested that having a broadly focussed service to meet the needs of all aspects of motherhood. They suggested it would be

Somewhere people could go for day visits, or night visits, or week long visits… a one stop shop and where there’s some really skilled people providing different therapeutic ways of working with women with PND that is affordable. (HCP 9)

4.8.3.3 Continued support systems for HCPs (perinatal mental health coordinator)

All of the HCPs indicated that it would be beneficial to keep the perinatal mental health co-ordinators to assist with information gathering and accessing support services. They provide HCPs with a resource to current and available services, referral processes, and current waiting times for accessing services.

While expressing frustration with accessing services for further PND assessment, one HCP declared that GPs were hard to access and calling the ‘mental health line’ had not been helpful. However, it was the

The perinatal mental health co-ordinator [who] has been able to help get easier access to supports within the mental health service and even the assessment team. (HCP 15)

The role and purpose of the perinatal mental health co-ordinator is concerned with mapping services for women who have mental health difficulties in the perinatal period and developing systems and pathways of care for those women. One HCP indicated that “there is also consultation available for DHHS employees who are managing these women both in the community and as in-patients” (HCP 2).

4.8.3.4 Use of music

As stated above, all HCPs indicated that they would consider using music as, or as an element of, a treatment program for women with PND as long as they knew where to refer women to for such treatments. It was suggested that more information about music as therapy, as well as where these therapies were available, be made known to HCPs so that referrals could be made. For example, one HCP stated:

I have seen music work to alter mood in the past. I guess the only problem I have is access. Where would I send somebody? How would I encourage them to use it? (HCP 2)

4.9 Conclusion

This chapter has discussed the interview findings with both the HCPs who care for women with PND and women with PND. A number of key themes and sub-themes were identified, which demonstrated the lived experience of women with PND, and the experiences of HCPs in providing care to these women. These themes include the women’s story, health care referral processes concerning PND, challenges with the current processes, music as “self-coping”, and suggestions to overcome barriers. In addition to each major theme, additional sub-themes and clusters were

developed and presented within this chapter.

The next chapter will discuss the findings from chapter four and provide a number of comparisons between the views and insights from each participant group. This discussion will provide an overarching understanding to answer the research

questions, which relate to the views of PND as well as access to services and service provision for women with PND in the north and northwest regions of Tasmania. In

addition, the chapter will provide an understanding of the views of both participant groups regarding the use of music for women with PNDin rural Tasmania.