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Women’s Mental Health

The Women’s Wellbeing clinic has a team of highly trained specialist perinatal psychiatrists, psychologists and nurses. We also provide safe and effective medications. Our treatment programs are discreet and if the woman wishes, husbands and families are encouraged to be involved.

Appointments and Referrals

Women’s Services at Sidra Medicine are based on a private model of care, however our current service structure for mental health services is categorized as Sole Provider and Preferred. You can find details about the classification of our services here.

The Women’s Mental Health service accepts self-referrals, this is to reduce barriers to accessing help. Payment is accepted by insurance or self-pay. Women can call directly to book an appointment (i.e. self-referrals).

When to Seek Help

If you are experiencing dramatic mood swings, excessive fear and anxiety or feelings of hopelessness whether as a result of motherhood, menopause or due to other factors then this may indicate that professional help is needed.

Other warning signs include:

  • Insomnia (poor sleep)
  • Loss of appetite
  • Major changes in eating habits
  • Loss of energy or extreme fatigue
  • Self-imposed isolation and social withdrawal

Conditions Treated

Adjustment disorders
Anxiety disorders
Depression
Peri and Postnatal depression
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Schizophrenia
Bipolar Affective Disorder
Body Dysmorphia
Personality Disorders

Mental health conditions during the perinatal period including:

  • Postnatal Depression
  • Excessive stress
  • Anxiety related to fears of pregnancy, medical procedures and childbirth
  • Trouble bonding with baby
  • Dealing with a complicated pregnancy
  • Reactions to a traumatic birth
  • Emotional difficulties associated with caring for a baby who is fussy, colicky, or ill, or who has high needs
  • Difficulties coping in the context of pregnancy loss or abortion or neonatal death
  • Anxiety/stress experienced during infertility treatment
  • Fear of labor (tokophobia)

Services and Clinics

Your physician will determine if the services, fall under the sole provider or preferred service category. This determination is based on the service and clinical assessment. The team will guide you through the process.

We offer both psychiatry and psychological interventions based on the following:

Sole provider services:

  • Perinatal Mental Health Clinic: for pregnant and postnatal women experiencing emotional difficulties and any mental illness. Treatment and care are provided to women, their infants and families during the perinatal period, which includes the time from when a couple plan their pregnancy through the pregnancy and the first year of a baby’s life
    We also offer medication advice for women who are pregnant and taking medications for pre-existing mental health difficulties.
  • Preconception Counselling Clinic: one off appointment with psychiatrist to review medications for patients on psychotropic medications, planning a new pregnancy
  • Infant and Maternal Attachment Clinic offered by psychologist to women with difficulty bonding with their infant
  • Clinical Liaison Service: Offered to inpatient mothers experiencing emotional difficulties

For patients whose care falls under Sole Provider services, they will not be required to pay for the full cost of the service but a co-payment instead. The charges to access sole provider services are offered at a government approved rate in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health.

Preferred Services

  • General Adult Women’s Mental Health Clinic - for women with any mental health condition
  • Specialist ADHD Clinic- for assessment, diagnosis and treatment of adult women suspected of having ADHD
  • Specialist Dementia Prevention and Memory Clinic - offered to women over 40 years or those who are perimenopausal
  • Couple and Relationship Therapy - offered by psychologist to couples with difficult relationship
  • EMDR - offered by psychologist to patients with complex trauma
  • Group Therapy - for groups of patients with similar conditions

Preferred services refer to private services that are also available at other healthcare centers and hospitals. This means patients will be required to pay for the service as they would in any other private hospital. Our preferred services are also available during the private evening clinics.