TODAY
21o Mostly sunny
22o 19o 18o TUE
WED
THURS
www.wangarattachronicle.com.au
Celebrating our natural world treasure
Page 4
Monday, October 3, 2022
Mt Beauty Writers Festival
Page 8
$1.50 INC. GST
Phone (03) 5723 0100
Richards call-up to AFL draft combine
Sport
CHECK THIS OUT NAMIBIAN cricketers Tangeni Lungameni (left) and Ben Shikongo (right) and coach Pierre De Bruyn check out the Bill O’Callaghan Oval (Barr 1) wicket on Friday. The team arrived the day before and took no time to become acclimatised to the rural city ahead of a round robin T20 tournament scheduled to start on Wednesday. PHOTO: Kurt Hickling ■ Story page 2 and interview with Pierre DeBruyn in sport
Mums world-first New and expectant p mothers able to access gground-breaking g online mental health check BY ANITA McPHERSON amcpherson@ nemedia.com.au
COPE has developed the iCOPE digital application to identify mums at risk and facilitate faster and more effective mental health screening in the perinatal period (pregnancy and year following birth). The app enables COVID–
safe perinatal mental health screening to be undertaken across all clinical settings, from in– person to remote screening via the patient‘s mobile phone and it‘s now being used at Northeast Health Wangaratta. Founder and executive director of COPE, perinatal mental health specialist Dr Nicole Highet, said the COVID–19 pandemic had further increased the
EBRATIN L E the 156th
G
C
A WORLD–first online screening program is supporting the mental health of new and expectant mums across Victoria‘s North East, thanks to a new partnership between Northeast Health Wangaratta and the Centre of Perinatal Excellence (COPE), Australia‘s peak body for reducing the impacts of perinatal anxiety and depression.
WANGARATTA SHOW OCTOBER 7 & 8
incidence and severity of perinatal depression and anxiety, with a huge increase in calls to helplines and support services. She said at the same time, many people have become more reluctant to attend medical appointments in person due to COVID concerns. “Now, more than ever, our health services need to be using this world–leading
Winsec Monster Fireworks Display Animal Nursery ALL4FMX motorbikes Friday night Donnasparx Hoopla
technology to implement regular, faster and more efficient perinatal mental health screening to identify those at risk and those experiencing symptoms,” she said. “The sooner symptoms are detected, the faster the treatment can begin, which is why it‘s so important to spot the signs early. “Every new and expectant parent deserves the same opportunity
DRU G ALCO AND FREE HOL EVEN T
Animals Of Oz Display Live Music Steam Engines and Fergie Tractors Cattle, Alpacas, Sheep, Poultry & Pigeons
TICKETS AVAILABLE ONLINE VIA EVENTBRITE http://wangarattashow.org.au (03) 5721 3280
to receive the mental wellbeing support they need, when they need it.” Dr Highet said the ability to complete the survey at home via the patient‘s mobile phone means iCOPE provides a COVID–proof solution to the screening process, while ensuring mental health can still be assessed and monitored at a time when mental health distress has increased. ■ Continued page 2
