fbpx

Contribute to a research project about mother’s mental health and wellbeing during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Women’s Health East are working on a research project to gather the lived experience of new mothers during the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic.

The Parenting in a Pandemic project aims to better understand the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown on the mental health and wellbeing of new mothers in the eastern metropolitan region of Melbourne. The project will gather local women’s stories and experiences of being a new parent against the backdrop of a global pandemic.

The findings from the project will strengthen the evidence base around the mental health impacts for parents during COVID-19, and can be used to advocate on how to better support new mothers during a pandemic in order to sustain and strengthen mental health outcomes.

About you 

Do you: 

  • – have a baby that was born in 2020 or did you care for a baby between the age of 0-12 months during 2020? 
  • – live/work/study in the Eastern Metropolitan Region of Melbourne? 
  • – have an interest in sharing your experiences and stories of being a new parent during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020? 
  • – want to meet other new mothers with similar experiences? 

If you answered yes to these questions, we would love to hear from you!

What’s involved? 

You will need to: 

  • – Be available to attend an online focus group, and possibly a follow-up face-to-face focus group in May/June 2021. 
  • – Be willing to share your experience and insights of being a new mother during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown, including the impact on your mental health and wellbeing. 
  • – Have access to the internet and a computer from your home for the first focus group via Zoom 

If you are not able to participate in a focus group, we would still like to hear about your experience of parenting during the pandemic in another way. For example, sharing your story via a written piece or diary entry, a video or voice recording.

If you are interested in being involved, please contact Vanessa, vczerniawski@whe.org.au and she would be happy to chat with you about the project. Expressions of interest close on 21st April.

We are looking to speak to interested women as soon as possible – so please get in touch soon!

Women with lived experience of disability, from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds, migrant and refugee backgrounds, single parents, and LGBTIQ women are encouraged to apply.

 

Women’s Health East acknowledges the support of the Victorian Government.