An Australian first for mothers and babies

St John of God Hospital, in partnership with The University of New South Wales, established the country's first Chair of Perinatal and Women's Mental Health in 2009.

The position was awarded to one of the country's leaders in perinatal mental health  "Professor Marie-Paule Austin" who will drive research, policy and education in this area. It is reflective of St John of God Hospital's commitment to perinatal mental health.

A key component of the Chair will be the development of a Perinatal Research Unit within the hospital which will focus on the causes, effects, screening and interventions into perinatal mental disorders.

Professor Austin and her team will be conducting research into mood disorders affecting women in the childbearing years.  This will include projects such as how bipolar disorder might impact on mother-infant interaction; how a woman's own childhood experiences might affect bonding with her infant and whether sensitivity to the hormonal changes of the childbearing years may increase a woman's predisposition to postnatal depression or psychosis.