Postnatal Depression (PND) is unipolar depression (major and/or minor depressive criteria) that has its onset in the months following childbirth. PND is the most common mood disorder associated with childbirth and is the second most frequent serious complication of childbirth after caesarean section delivery. In Australia, the prevalence of PND varies between 9% and 15%, depending on the method and time of assessment. Biopsychosocial models are favoured to describe the various contributions of physical, psychological and environmental factors to the aetiology of PND in women and the development of depression during pregnancy.

The majority of research evidence highlights the particular importance of psychosocial characteristics or conditions that increase the likelihood of women becoming clinically depressed before and/or after the birth of an infant. This means that efforts are vital to prevent perinatal depression by early identification of such “risk” factors and testing preventive interventions with mothers and infants or with expectant couples and/or recent parents. 

Research collaboration between the Women and Infants Research Foundation and Edith Cowan University has been underway since 2001 to address these issues, with funding provided by the beyondblue National Depression Initiative until 2005. This $3.2million funding grant was secured by key researchers from five Australian states to develop the beyondblue National Postnatal Depression Program. This Program incorporates the National Antenatal and Postnatal Screening Project to detect psychological disorders during pregnancy and in the postpartum months, as well as state-specific intervention projects.
 
The Western Australian (WA) intervention project aimed to add much needed research to the call for antenatal preparation and postnatal support for multiple birth families, and developed specific resources to help towards prevention and early detection of antenatal and postnatal depression in mothers of multiple birth children.  Thirteen thousand information booklets designed specifically for parents of multiple birth children have been distributed nationally. 

A total of 4838 women were recruited into the Screening Project in WA through the participating hospitals: King Edward Memorial Hospital, Osborne Park Hospital and the Mercy Hospital. National screening was completed in December 2004. Analyses have now begun on the National database, which contains over 40,000 participants, as well as on the WA database. Results will be disseminated as available.