The Mercy Pregnancy and Emotional Wellbeing Study (MPEWS) has recruited 482 women, including an original cohort of 282 women now undertaking wave six of assessment, with their children aged three-and a-half to four-years old.
The second cohort of 200 pregnant women has been recruited. Recruitment of a related cohort, the South Metropolitan Pregnancy and Emotional Wellbeing Study (SMPEWS) in Perth, Western Australia, has commenced and this study will recruit 200 pregnant women and follow these women and their infants across the postpartum (beyond childbirth).
The study is a multidisciplinary, national and international collaboration that examines maternal mental health and infant and child outcomes. This involves collection of data across domains of biology, psychology and social wellbeing from the first trimester of pregnancy and beyond the postpartum period.
In later waves, there will be assessment of child development and wellbeing. The study protocol is published (Galbally, et al., 2017 Int. J. Psych. Res. Methods). The study has been funded by mental health support group beyondblue and a National Health and Medical Research Council project grant.
If there are any questions about the study, the coordinator Jacinta Holland may be contacted at jholland@mercy.com.au
Last reviewed September 26, 2017.