Recipients: Bindi Bennett, Prof. Brenda Happel, Prof. Marie Hutchinson, Assoc Prof. Jacqui Yoxall, Prof. John Hurley
Area of Study: Mid North Coast NSW 

This research will investigate and evaluate the effectiveness of a co-designed online training programme enabling parents, carers, and supporters to therapeutically undertake early intervention and prevention roles to minimise risk to children in their care. The primary outcome will be an online course enabling parents, carers, and supporters to better undertake early intervention and prevention. The project will develop knowledge on implementation and effectiveness. If proven successful, the resources will be designed for transferability and accessibility, and learnings from the project will maximize transferability.

Empowering rural and regional communities to provide children with the best start in life: A co-designed mHealth intervention to promote perinatal mental health and wellbeing in parents and carers

Recipients: Dr Rebecca Liackman, Dr Alison Brown, Dr Rachel Sutherland
Area: Hunter / New England

The early postnatal period requires birthing parents to adapt emotionally, mentally, physically, and socially. Focusing on mental well-being at this stage can reduce stressors, lower mental illness risk, and ease the burden on mental health services. Assessments indicate that mental well-being among new birth parents is often inadequate, and engagement with in-person mental health services is limited by stigma and distance, particularly in rural areas. mHealth interventions, delivered via mobile phones, offer a way to improve access to support and have shown promise in various health outcomes, but are not commonly used for mental well-being.

This study primarily aims to co-develop text messages to improve mental well-being in birthing parents. It will assess the acceptability and effectiveness of these messages in enhancing mental wellbeing during the early postnatal period through a multi-phase co-development process and a 12 week randomised controlled trial. The study will provide insights into co-developing an mHealth intervention and its impact on improving mental well-being in birthing parents during the early postnatal period. (reading level 17)

Supporting Mothers in Regional NSW: Decreasing the Impacts of Birth Trauma

Recipients: Dr Cassandra Sundaraja, Dr Joseph Turner, Amy Lykins, Suzie Cosh, Phillip Tully, Hayley Farrell, Anand Swamy, Melanie Kelly and Jyoti Chaku
Area: Hunter / New England NSW

A traumatic childbirth experience (otherwise known as birth trauma) refers to a woman’s experience of interactions and/or events directly related to childbirth that cause overwhelming distressing emotions and reactions, leading to short- and/or long-term negative impacts on a woman’s health and wellbeing. These have been associated with poorer mental health outcomes in the postpartum period, including depression, anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder. Further, mental health in regional Australia is in crisis; service access is limited and expensive, with long waitlists to see psychologists and large out-of-pocket costs for new parents. This project aims to pilot a telehealth group-based early intervention for postpartum mothers in regional NSW (Hunter New England LHD) to facilitate healing from birth trauma. The intervention will be informed by narrative therapy, which aims to empower postpartum mothers to re-tell their birth stories from a position of resilience and posttraumatic growth. The acceptability and feasibility of this intervention will be assessed and will inform further research projects. If successful, the wide-scale implementation of such telehealth, group-based early intervention programmes delivered by mental health practitioners will be an accessible and affordable option for mothers struggling with their trauma.

Addressing the need for effective recruitment, retention, and wellbeing of non-government organisation rural mental health staff: A pilot study

Recipients: Dr Monica Short & Emma Rush
Area: Murrumbidgee & Southern NSW

Are you concerned about high staff turnover in rural mental health organisations and how this impacts the quality and accessibility of rural mental health services? This co-designed pilot study will draw upon the experiences of frontline rural mental health care professionals regarding successful recruitment, retention and well-being strategies in Southern and Murrumbidgee NSW.

The research starts with a survey and two professional development information workshops:

• Resolving complex ethical dilemmas in conflictual situations well
• Designing fun participatory, inclusive projects for the workplace

This is followed by design workshops where together we will co-produce narratives about best practice strategies that promote retention and well-being in rural mental health NGOs. This information will be of particular interest to workers, managers and policy-makers in this field. Next, people can join an engaging co-operative inquiry conversation about translating what is working into rural NSW organisations. Lastly there will be the collective writing and sharing of publications.

Those involved will leave a legacy of public knowledge and effective interventions that improve staffing within a rural mental health context. This research has the potential to improve recruitment, retention and wellbeing among participating rural mental staff and their organisations.

Many thanks to our partners supporting this research: Standby Support; Anglicare NSW South West and ACT; Roundsquared; 54 Reasons; and Charles Sturt University; and to the Peregrine Centre for making this research possible. For those working in the field who are interested, we hope to see you at one of the workshops soon.