title: A collaborative approach to perinatal and infant mental health service delivery in Australia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this paper is to report on the development and implementation of a community-based perinatal and infant mental health day program for mothers with psychiatric illness. The program was initiated through interagency collaboration between adult mental health, infant mental health and community child health services in Queensland, Australia in response to calls for an integrated approach that could be delivered state-wide if successful. Preliminary results of the program's evaluation are provided.
  
  
  METHODS
  A pre-post survey design was used to assess the influence the program had on maternal mental and emotional well-being and the maternal-infant relationship. Twenty-one women receiving treatment for perinatal mental illness gave consent to attend the 6-week day program integrating three currently separate and discrete services: adult mental health, infant mental health and community child health.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Clinically and statistically significant improvements were observed for maternal mental health, and parent-infant relationships following the program.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings support interagency collaboration between adult mental health, infant mental health and community child health services to deliver services to women with mental illness with newborns and their families. The utility of using a collaborative approach in a community setting endorses more comprehensive and longer-term evaluation of effectiveness and cost benefit.
authors.affiliation: Adult Mental Health Services, Metro North Hospital and Health Services, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: Joyce
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: van der Ham
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Berry
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hoehn
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fraser
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia; D002662:Child Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008427:Maternal Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D018743:Perinatal Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016730:Program Development
keywords: child health; infant mental health; interagency collaboration; perinatal mental health