Mental health and wellbeing

Any experience with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH) can be challenging and stressful for parents, extended family members, and friends.  It is important to reach out and access support for your mental health and wellbeing when you need it.

Peer support

 

The CDH community in Australia is very active and supportive. The importance and benefit of feeling connected to others is well documented. Being connected and sharing experiences promotes good mental health. Our online peer-support groups are a great place to find information, share your story and connect with others who have navigated the CDH journey.

 

 

Social Workers

 

Ask your hospital to connect you with their Social Worker Team who are a wealth of knowledge when it comes to accessing information, financial support, mental health, and professional services in your local area.

Mental health and wellbeing resources 

 

Links to Australian organisations with information and support for the mental health of you and your family.

 

 

Perinatal support

 

PANDA – Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia supports the mental health of parents and families during pregnancy and in their first year of parenthood. PANDA National Helpline Phone 1300 726 306 Available Mon to Fri, 9am – 7.30pm AEST/AEDT

 

Gidget Foundation Australia supports the emotional wellbeing of expectant and new parents to ensure they receive timely, appropriate and specialist care.

 

 

General support

 

Lifeline provides compassionate support for people in crisis. No judgement. No conditions. No agenda. Just a human connection to help people get through their darkest moments.

 

Beyond Blue 24/7 mental health support. Information and support to help everyone in Australia achieve their best mental health.

 

Head to Health An innovative website that can help you find free and low-cost, trusted online and phone mental health resources.

 

MindSpot Clinic An online and telephone clinic providing free assessment and treatment services for Australian adults with anxiety or depression.

 

 

Support for carers

 

Carers Australia Short-term counselling and emotional and psychological support services for carers and their families in each state and territory.

 

SANE Australia Information about mental illness, treatments, where to go for support and help for carers.

 

 

Support for children and young people

 

Headspace Free online and telephone service that supports young people aged between 12 and 25 and their families going through a tough time.

 

Kids Helpline A free, private and confidential, telephone and online counselling service specifically for young people aged between 5 and 25.

 

 

Support for men

 

MensLine Australia A telephone and online support, information and referral service, helping men to deal with relationship problems in a practical and effective way.

 

 

Support for families

 

Relationships Australia A provider of relationship support services for individuals, families and communities.

 

 

Support for multicultural families

 

Embrace Multicultural Mental Health A national platform for multicultural communities and Australian mental health services to access resources, services and information in a culturally accessible format.

 

 

Grief and loss support

 

Unfortunately, not all babies and children diagnosed with this condition survive, and grief and loss can be a very difficult part of a family’s CDH journey. Visit our page on Grief and loss for support and information.

CRISIS SUPPORT

 

Lifeline services are available for all Australians experiencing emotional distress with access to free 24/7 crisis support and suicide prevention services. If you, or someone you know, is experiencing emotional distress and would like to access immediate support, contact Lifeline.

 

Lifeline phone support

Phone 13 11 14 Australia’s largest crisis support line. Anyone in Australia can speak to a trained Crisis Supporter over the phone, any time of the day or night 24 hours / 7 days.

 

Lifeline Text

Text 0477 13 11 14 Australia’s first SMS-based Crisis Support service, any person in Australia can receive support from a Crisis Supporter by text message, any time of the day or night 24 hours / 7 days.

 

Lifeline Online Chat

The online chat service is available for people who prefer to type than talk. Any person in Australia can chat with a Crisis Supporter through the Lifeline Australia website, any time of the day or night 24 hours / 7 days.

Professional counselling

 

Discuss how you are feeling with your GP and ask about The Better Access initiative which gives Medicare rebates to eligible people, so they can access the mental health services they need. Support is available from eligible GPs and other medical practitioners, psychologists, social workers and occupational therapists. Eligible people can receive up to 10 individual and up to 10 group allied mental health services each year. Ask your GP for more information. You can also visit health.gov.au

Family and friends

 

If your family would like to help but they are not sure how, please refer them to our page Information for family and friends.

CDH and PTSD

 

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a set of responses that can develop in people who have been through or witnessed a traumatic event. Read our fact sheet and guidance on CDH and PTSD.

Contact us

Our team can add you to our private peer-support groups, discuss financial assistance, and help you find other services. Send us an email and let us know how we can help you.

Explore the website

Online support groups

Grief and loss

How we can help

CDH stories