Perinatal Mental Health

Understanding perinatal mental health including the mechanisms through which maternal antenatal emotional disorders, including depression and anxiety, impacts the subsequent development of children and their vulnerability to developing depression and anxiety disorders. This includes investigation of potential mechanisms including through fetal programming and/or postnatal social environment. In addition, understanding the role of targeted pharmacological and/or psychosocial interventions in the reduction of risk of perinatal mental illness.

Featured Projects

Mercy Pregnancy and Emotional Wellbeing Study

The Mercy Pregnancy and Emotional Wellbeing Study (MPEWS) is a longitudinal cohort study of 482 pregnant women exploring the impact of perinatal depression (depression experienced from conception until birth) on women and their children. This study is funded by grants from Beyond Blue and NHMRC Project Grant.

The study will undertake a comprehensive observational study of a cohort of women from first trimester to when their child turns 4 years of age.

South Metropolitan Pregnancy and Emotional Wellbeing Study

This study is a selected pregnancy cohort study of 200 women (100 control and 100 with depression, anxiety or psychotic disorders diagnosed using the SCID) who are being recruited from Fiona Stanley Hospital, Rockingham and Peel in 1st Trimester and will follow until their infants reach 6 months of age to assess outcomes on maternal mental health and infant development. This study is funded by a Collaborative Research Grant from Spinnaker Foundation.

The study’s aim is to explore the role of maternal antenatal mental health and the risks and protective factors for both maternal outcomes and their infant’s developmental outcomes.

Rural and Remote Pregnancy and Emotional Wellbeing Study

In partnership with WACHS this study will recruit 200 women in first trimester pregnancy who are living and delivering in Bunbury, Kalgoorlie and Geraldton and follow these women and their children to 6 months postpartum.

The key objective if this study is to examine the role of modifiable protective and risk factors for maternal mental health and child outcomes in a sample of women living in remote and regional WA.

Featured publications

Oxytocin Receptor Methylation, Maternal Depression and Antidepressant use: Findings from the MPEWS Study

Galbally M, Ryan J, Johnson A, Spigset O, Lappas M, Saffery R, de Kloet R, van IJzendoorn M, Lewis A

Psychoneuroendocrinology, 2018

Mercy Pregnancy and Emotional Wellbeing Study (MPEWS): understanding maternal mental health, fetal programming and child development. Study design and cohort profile

Galbally M, van IJzendoorn M, Permezel M, Saffery R, Lappas M, Ryan J, van Rossum E, Teti D, Johnson A, Lewis A

International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research, 2017

Depression and Parenting: the need for improved intervention models

Galbally M & Lewis A

Current Opinion in Psychology, 2017

Understanding neonatal adaptation following antidepressant use: the role of Neonatal Abstinence Symptom Scale and drug assay levels in the MPEWS study

Galbally M, Spigset O, Johnson A, Kohan R, Lappas M, Lewis A

Pediatric Research, 2017

Maternal Perinatal Mental Health and Placental 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase: pilot findings from the MPEWS study

Seth S, Lewis A, Lappas M, Saffery R, Galbally M

International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2015

HDR Student Supervision

Dr Josephine Power

PhD

Thesis: Maternal perinatal depression and early childhood executive function outcomes

Dr Karen Redhead

PhD

Recipient of the Michael G Kailis Scholarship

Thesis: Sleep in pregnancy and the role of sleep disordered breathing in perinatal depression and pregnancy and fetal outcomes

Contact

Professor Megan Galbally

Megan.Galbally@health.wa.gov.au