Perinatal Mental Health

This section will examine maternal experiences and understandings of perinatal mental health in women from CALD backgrounds. The aim is to improve understandings of the factors that may account for under-diagnosis and/or engagement with mental health services amongst migrant and refugee women in spite of their disproportionate exposure to known psychological risk (Kokanovic, 2012; National Mental Health Development Unit, 2009). Migrant and refugee women are particularly vulnerable to developing emotional distress or mental health disorders in the perinatal period and they often do not receive the care they need.