Each year nearly 100,000 Australian parents are affected by mental illness during pregnancy and the first year of their baby’s life – the perinatal period – which also has significant consequences for the wellbeing of babies and young children.

With the aim of improving the mental health and wellbeing of expecting and new parents, the Australian Government is establishing a national network of 12 perinatal mental health centres (PMHCs). These centres will provide bulk-billed, evidence-based care that is tailored to the unique needs of families in this critical period. The centres are being rolled out in two rounds with the first centres now open in Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia.

AHA has been commissioned by the department to evaluate the 12 PMHCs in terms of their:

• appropriateness
• implementation
• effectiveness
• cost-effectiveness and efficiency
• impact
• sustainability.

AHA is conducting its evaluation in 2 stages. In the first stage we will consult with stakeholders to develop a robust evaluation framework that will guide data collection and analysis for the first round of centres.

In the second stage of the evaluation we will review the literature to compare the care provided by the PMHCs with national and international best practice. The evaluation will also expand to include the remaining centres as they are established. We will conduct an economic analysis to evaluate the efficiency of the PMHCs, ensuring a comprehensive and meaningful assessment of their overall impact.

The evaluation aims to provide insights and recommendations to enhance the impact of the PMHCs and guide future policy and investment decisions. The final report will summarise what the PMHCs’ have achieved so far and where there is room to improve.