Perinatal Mental Health Care in New Zealand: The Promise of Beginnings

Pregnancy and the postnatal year represent a critical time in the health and development of families, and a time when psychologists can play an important role in the primary health care team. This paper discusses some key issues of interest in perinatal mental health care, encouraging clinicians and researchers to broaden the focus beyond postnatal depression to perinatal emotional disorders, and to become informed and involved in promoting recognition of, and appropriate treatment for, parents who are struggling with psychological distress.