Treatment & Early Intervention

The Parent-Infant Research Institute (PIRI), is Victoria's largest research centre for perinatal depression. PIRI is also a leader in providing excellent and evaluated treatment programs for perinatal depression and helping parents making the transition to parenthood.

PIRI's Early Years programs are:-

  • Brief and cost-effective
  • Have a strong research base
  • Draw from the best of other existing overseas programs to target the essence of skill building in early parent-infant relationships, adapted for Australian use
  • Are able to be delivered by a range of trained professionals, so can be integrated into primary care
  • Empower parents by building parenting skills for the antenatal period to the first year
  • Address both at-risk groups (e.g. following depression) and parents in general in optimizing parent-child relationships that underlies learning


All programs have detailed manuals and materials and have been evaluated as effective (or are in the process of evaluation). We offer training to health professionals in some of our programs.



PIRI Clinical Services

Infant Clinic

A Centre of Excellence providing clinical services to assist with the difficulties experienced by parents and infants in the first years of life.

Parent & Baby Wellbeing Program

A support service for parents with new babies around Australia. This service is fully covered as part of HBA, MBF or Mutual Community health insurance membership.



Evidence-based Treatment & Early Intervention Programs

An overview of programs is provided below. Click for details.

For treating postnatal depression

Getting Ahead of Postnatal Depression
A twelve session group treatment program for postnatal depression for psychologists and practitioners with CBT training.

Overcoming depression
A six week counselling approach informed by CBT for nurses.

For mother-infant attachment

BabyHUGS
A three session group therapeutic program for enhancing the mother-infant relationship following postnatal depression.

CommunityHUGS
A research project evaluating a ten session therapeutic playgroup for enhancing the mother-infant relationship following postnatal depression.

Inituitive Mothering
An eight week program that focuses on the natural movement, holding patterns and imaginative play that occurs between mother and infant.

For antenatal preparation for parenthood and depression

Towards Parenthood
A self help program supported by telephone counselling to prepare expectant parents for the transition to parenthood. The self-help workbook is available for purchase with or without the telephone counselling component.

Beating the Blues before Birth
A research project evaluating an eight session cognitive behavioural treatment for Antenatal Depression.

For parents of pre-term infants

PremieStart
A research project evaluating an eight session training program for parents of pre-term infants, held while babies are still in the NICU.

PremieHUGS
An eight week group program for parents and their premature infants.

 

Crisis Lines and Other Services

Victorian Mental Health Services
Adult Services - Metropolitan Service Areas (including Crisis Assessment Teams)