Skye Kakoschke-Moore (SA, Nick Xenophon Team) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

(a)   notes that:

(i)   Perinatal Depression and Anxiety Awareness Week runs from Sunday, 13 November to Saturday, 19 November 2016,

(ii)   the awareness week was established in 2005 by Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia (PANDA), which operates the only specialist perinatal mental health telephone counselling service in the country,

(iii)   perinatal depression and anxiety is a serious illness that will affect around 100,000 Australian families this year,

(iv)   more than one in seven new mums, and up to one in ten new dads, are diagnosed with postnatal depression each year; even more are thought to suffer with anxiety,

(v)   the effects of the illness ripple throughout the community and it's important for expecting new parents, as well as those around them, to be aware of perinatal depression and anxiety to know the signs to look out for and where to go for help, and

(vi)   perinatal depression and anxiety can present differently in each person who experiences it, but signs and symptoms include mood swings, lack of energy and motivation, crying for no apparent reason and wanting to sleep more than usual; and

(b)   recognises the importance of Perinatal Depression and Anxiety Awareness Week and the work of PANDA in promoting the week and raising awareness in the community about perinatal depression and anxiety.

Question agreed to.