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CareRight Champions Perinatal Mental Health with Gidget Foundation

With over 1700 northern Sydney parents affected by perinatal anxiety and depression each year, the expanded service has plenty to do.

As perinatal mental health issues continue to affect thousands of families across northern Sydney, the Gidget Foundation Australia has expanded its critical support services.

The foundation officially opened a new Gidget House location inside North Shore Private Hospital’s maternity ward, which it said would be a more accessible and integrated space from which to provide its services.

Since first opening its doors in 2018, Gidget House St Leonards has delivered more than 4300 free specialist counselling appointments and supported over 600 families through some of the most vulnerable moments of early parenthood.

The move to North Shore Private will allow the service to increase its capacity, reaching even more parents struggling in silence, said Gidget Foundation Australia CEO Arabella Gibson.

“With approximately 1764 parents in northern Sydney impacted by perinatal depression and anxiety (PDNA) each year, we are reminded that accessibility and priority of speciality mental health care for new parents remains an important issue,” Ms Gibson said.

“The new Gidget House St Leonard at North Shore Private Hospital will allow us to increase capacity and support more parents in the area.”

‍The expanded facility will also provide access to the foundation’s Emotional Wellbeing Screening Program and in-patient services, further strengthening the continuity of care for expectant, new and hopeful parents.

Gidget Foundation Australia clinical director Karen Edwards told Health Services Daily the organisation had a long-standing relationship with the hospital, and it was exciting to be able to expand the services there.

“That gives us a much bigger opportunity to support the growing demand that we see for perinatal mental health support in the North Sydney region,” she said.

“It allows us to put extra clinicians into the space and more appointments generally.“

"With two rooms and four clinicians, our capacity to support families in the region will continue to grow.” Ms Edwards stressed the importance of timely and accessible services to parents close to where they live. Telehealth was also proving useful for many parents.

“We know early intervention really improves outcomes for parents and improves outcomes for their children as well,” she said.

“As part of the partnership with North Shore Private Hospital, we also support the screening program within the maternity units.“

"We have our emotional wellbeing screening program, which is where we train and support midwives to screen to screen parents for perinatal mental health disorders during their antenatal care, and also while they’re in in hospital, delivering their babies.”

‍The free service is not limited to patients at the hospital, however. Parents from all over the area, including those attending public or other private hospital are also welcomed.

A referral is required, usually from a GP, but Ms Edwards said parents could also be assisted with this directly at the service.

‍“We also provide telehealth services nationwide, so clinicians, regardless of their locations, can support families, so this adds to our pool of support.”

‍Ms Edwards said it was important to raise awareness that the service was not only for new mums.

“We know it’s one in five mothers (who are affected by PNDA), it’s one in 10 fathers,” she told HSD.

“That’s not an insignificant number, and we know that often dads can be reluctant to seek help sometimes because they don’t know that dads can experience PNDA, but also because sometimes they feel that, having not been the one to physically deliver the baby, that their needs are secondary.“

"They also might feel that they need to be there for their partner, and that they don’t prioritise their own needs.“

"Part of this is about also making sure that dads know that looking after their own mental health supports their partners and it supports their infants as well.”

‍Speaking at the official launch today, Sydney Councillor Shannon Welch, a mother of two and former ICU nurse, highlighted the importance of accessible perinatal support.

“Parenthood can be incredibly isolating,” she said. “This expanded service represents not just an investment in health care but in the wellbeing of our community.”

‍Also present at the launch was Gidget Ambassador and Network 10 presenter Tara Rushton, who gave birth to both her sons at North Shore Private Hospital.

“The early stages of parenting can feel like navigating the great unknown,” she said. “Services like Gidget House offer a vital lifeline – you are not alone."

North Shore Private Hospital CEO Robert Cusack described the partnership as a significant advancement in holistic maternal care.

"To be able to offer mental health support alongside our childbirth and parenting programs is a true privilege,” he said.

‍“Together, we’re building stronger families from day one.”