COPE's programs

Review of Australia’s National Perinatal Mental Health Guideline

The Centre of Perinatal Excellence (COPE) is the Guideline developer for the 2017 and latest 2023 National Perinatal Mental Health Guideline.

The Guideline development has been informed and developed through the work of the Expert Working Group, formed through nomination of representatives from each of the professional bodies representing primary, maternity, postnatal and mental health care (as reflected in COPE’s Membership).

The New 2023 Revision of the Guideline was approved by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) in April 2023.

iCOPE: Transforming screening practice in Australia

COPE has developed a new digital platform, iCOPE. iCOPE stands to revolutionise current screening practice in Australia through deploying the latest digital technology to make screening more efficient and effective. 

Importantly, valuable outcome data is also collected to inform service provision, policy and practice.  The technology is also designed to guide practitioners in the detection and management of perinatal mental health conditions whilst, for the first time, providing consumers with tailored information in relation to their personal screening outcomes.

Ready to COPE

To support parents emotional and mental health in pregnancy and the first year of parenthood COPE has developed the Ready to COPE Guide, which is currently available via email.  

Ready to COPE provides expectant and new parents with timely, relevant information each week of their pregnancy (from 6 weeks) up until the baby’s first birthday.

Ready to COPE is underpinned by the National Guideline and funded by the Commonwealth Government. 

Perinatal Mental Health Check

On 12 May 2019, the Commonwealth Government committed $36 million over three years to establish the world-first digital Perinatal Mental Health Check Program, which has now been expanded for a further two years, now until July 2025. 

Of this investment, funding was be provided to the Centre of Perinatal Excellence (COPE) to make iCOPE Digital Screening available in every public maternity hospital and maternal and child health centre in Australia for the provision of routine screening for perinatal mental health issues, in line with best practice. This is at no cost the States and Territories - as it is fully funded by the Commonwealth Government under this Initiative. 

Funding is also earmarked for a National Partnership Agreement with state and territory governments to encourage the uptake and delivery of iCOPE, and/or to expand services for perinatal support in the community sector.

Following extensive and successful trials of the iCOPE Platform across multiple healthcare settings, this is the chosen Platform that will be implemented under the Program.

National community awareness campaign

COPE has been funded by the Commonwealth Government to develop a perinatal mental health awareness campaign was be launched in early 2022. 

Informed by research undertaken with consumers, health professionals and perinatal service providers, the campaign raises awareness of the emotional and mental challenges faced by hopeful, expectant and new parents, in order to raise awareness of distress, reduce stigma and promote help-seeking.

Using extensive qualitative and quantitative methods, the project has obtained important insights into current awareness, attitudes and practices amongst health practitioners across these New Directions settings.  In particular, current practices surrounding screening, treatment and referral pathways has identified current opportunities and barriers to best practice in perinatal healthcare across Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations nationally.

Having a Baby – Understanding your emotional journey

Following extensive qualitative research revealed a range of issues for women who are experiencing depression and/or anxiety during pregnancy, this large-scale study seeks to quantify the extent to which these findings are relevant to the broader population.

Through undertaking an anonymous and confidential online survey with over 1,000 women to date, the findings have revealed detailed insights into women’s experience of symptoms, stigma, help-seeking behaviour and experiences with treatment services. This information has been used to underpin the information that COPE provides to women, families and health professionals, informs our strategic directions and enables us to undertake important research and identify areas of need for advocacy surrounding perinatal care.

Valuing perinatal mental health

In order to estimate the costs incurred by perinatal depression and anxiety associated with births in 2013, COPE, in partnership with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), have undertaken an economic analysis of costs incurred for not treating perinatal depression and anxiety.  These findings reveal the potential scale and scope of perinatal depression and anxiety in Australia for one year.