Partner in focus: Arabella Gibson, CEO, Gidget Foundation Australia

Partner in focus shines a spotlight on an Information Partner’s challenges and what they have learned in their efforts to deliver better health to Australians.

We spoke with Arabella Gibson, CEO, Gidget Foundation Australia who explains the foundation’s vision, challenges and recent innovations.

What is the vision of Gidget Foundation Australia?

Gidget Foundation Australia’s vision is to ensure all parents across Australia who are experiencing perinatal depression and anxiety — which occurs during pregnancy and the first year after birth – or struggling adjusting to parenting, have access to the best care and psychological support when and where they need it. We want expectant and new parents to know they are not alone, and that care and support is available for them.

The vision now extends to supporting all the other ‘Gidgets and Guys’ out there, to raise awareness of perinatal mental health issues and ensure all parents know that help is available and how to access support.

What are some of the challenges you face?

Although awareness of perinatal depression and anxiety has increased, one of our greatest challenges is combating the stigma around — that feeling low is ‘just part of having a baby’ or ‘I can’t afford to access psychological support’ or that it is a temporary mental health issue, and therefore not as great a risk.

To address this, Gidget Foundation Australia connects with healthcare professionals, such as GPs, midwives, community health nurses, obstetricians and gynaecologists, to highlight the early warning signs of perinatal depression and anxiety.

Some of these signs include restlessness, irritability and anger outbursts, low mood and feelings of worthlessness, and disturbed eating and sleeping unrelated to baby’s sleep patterns. With this, healthcare professionals are better able to support their patients and refer them to Gidget services delivered under the Medicare Better Access Initiative.

Can you explain one of your organisation's recent innovations?

Some clients also say they wished they had accessed our services earlier, which is why we created our podcast ‘1 in 5 mothers, 1 in 10 fathers’. The podcast allows listeners to hear personal stories of recovery from perinatal mental health struggles, with the added support of a specialist clinician giving practical insights into perinatal depression and anxiety.

The podcast is an easy access point to the various Gidget services delivered through our stepped care model, meaning clients are able to access the support they need at a level that is right for them, depending on where they are at in recovery, and maintaining consistent support throughout.

The stepped care model includes a full range of specialist treatment programs, including individual psychological consultations via face-to-face or telehealth, early intervention screening with a Gidget Midwife at certain hospitals, online group treatment programs through Gidget Village and online virtual support groups via Gidget Virtual Villages for expectant parents, mums and dads. The Gidget virtual villages allow new and expectant parents to share and learn from each other in a safe online environment.

To support delivery of the various programs we host fundraising initiatives throughout the year and we are very excited about our next campaign, ‘Bun in the Oven’, which is all about ‘Baking a Difference!’ Registering is simple and everyone who signs up receives an exclusive ‘Bun in the Oven Host Kit’ to set them up for success. Funds raise through this campaign go towards helping more Australian families.

Find out more at: bunintheoven.org.au.

What is it about the partnership with Healthdirect Australia that is most valuable to you?

The awareness raised through Healthdirect Australia’s networks, partners and platforms has been an important part of reaching more parents in all states across the country – to let them know Gidget Foundation Australia is here to support them. The healthdirect platform allows another opportunity to connect with these parents who may be searching for answers.

Our ongoing partnership with Healthdirect Australia will help us make a meaningful and impactful difference in the lives of those suffering from perinatal mental health concerns, their loved ones and the wider community.