New mums and mums-to-be in Australia will receive a boost in mental health support with the launch of an online resource to help people deal with depression.
On Saturday, the government launched its MumSpace website, an online mental health resource offering tools, apps and helplines to help reach mums in rural and regional areas.
"Good mental health is particularly important for mums and mums-to-be," Minister for Health Greg Hunt said in a statement on Saturday.
"We know that some women find it hard to seek help for perinatal depression, especially in rural and remote areas and we hope these new tools provide that opportunity."
At least 40,000 Australian women are affected by perinatal depression each year.
It affects nearly one in ten pregnant women and nearly one in five women who have just given birth.
"Early intervention can be the key to reducing the duration and severity of mental health issues," Mr Hunt said.
The website includes the MumMoodBooster, an online therapy treatment tool for women with or at risk of perinatal depression.
It also features the free MindMum mobile app, allowing mums to track their mood and learn mental health strategies on the go.
The government provided $800,000 for the delivery of the program which was developed in a multi-institutional collaboration by the Perinatal Depression e-Consortium.
