The number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families seeking mental health support during pregnancy and within the first year of a child's birth has tripled, a perinatal helpline says.
Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia (PANDA) says there has been a 200 per cent increase in calls from Indigenous families to their helpline over the past 18 months.
Indigenous families account for six per cent of the total calls made to the helpline.
Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia chief executive Julie Borninkhof said there are "so many contributing factors", which may explain the increase, including geographical isolation and lack of local services.
"For First Nations communities where they're more disconnected from localised services, or don't have services on the ground, where there may be a history of intergenerational trauma ... where we have lower socioeconomic status of the community, they're all recipes to have a worse perinatal experience in terms of health and wellbeing," she told AAP.
The service has also worked with Indigenous community members to develop resources for First Nations parents.
Ms Borninkhof said investing in building trust in the service among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities could also have contributed to the surge in calls.
"We know that the need is there and dire, which is why we've been building this library or smorgasbord of resources for community, so they can choose the things they connect with," she said.
Ms Borninkhof said she is proud the service has supported so many people through their helpline and online resources but it does not work in isolation.
She said it's important for her organisation to connect people back into local services where possible.
Ms Borninkhof describes the service as a safety net for people when their local services are closed or inaccessible.
"We also hear a lot from our community members, First Nations and others, that taking the step to share your experience when you think you're failing in your parenting role is really scary to open up about when you think that service may know you or your family," she said.
"In areas of geographical isolation supports like PANDA can be really powerful because we don't impact relationships on the ground."
Perinatal Mental Health Week runs until Saturday and Ms Borninkhof said the week serves as a good reminder for anyone who needs support to "make the call" to address their mental health needs as early as possible.
PANDA 1300 726 306
13YARN 13 92 76
Lifeline 13 11 14
Lifeline 13 11 14
beyondblue 1300 22 4636
