About COPE
Perinatal mental health screenings conducted
The Centre of Perinatal Excellence is a national not-for-profit organisation focussed on developing sustainable solutions to increase knowledge and implement best practice in perinatal mental health. COPE is devoted to reducing the impacts of emotional and mental health problems in the pre and postnatal periods.
As the developer of the Australian Clinical Practice Guideline for mental health care in the perinatal period (2017), all of our tools, resources and solutions are underpinned by best practice evidence.
COPE is governed by a Board of Directors and the company membership comprises the peak professional bodies representing primary and maternity care and consumer bodies in perinatal mental health care in Australia.
Our current mission is to enable mandatory national perinatal mental health screening and referrals based on the Australian Clinical Practice Guideline (2017), to ensure the best mental and emotional health and wellbeing of Australian mothers and their families.
More information about COPE’s history, philosophy, purpose, objectives, governance and programs is available on the COPE website.
About the iCOPE platform
iCOPE is a world leading, interactive, digital screening tool that facilitates efficient and effective mental health screening in the perinatal period (pregnancy and year following birth).
The app was developed by COPE, in partnership with Diginostic, Australia’s leading developer of health-related preventative applications.
As recommended by the Australian Best Practice Guideline (2017), the iCOPE app has integrated:
- The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) which screens for symptoms of depression and anxiety.
- The Antenatal/Postnatal Risk Questionnaire (ANRQ/PNRQ) which screens for psychosocial risk factors.
- The family violence screen – an assessment of drug and alcohol use and family violence. As required for MBS item numbers and across State and Territory based health policies.
The iCOPE digital screening tool is currently being rolled out all public maternity hospitals and maternal and child family health clinics in Australia as part of the Federally funded Hospital to Home and Wellbeing Program. The program, announced by the Hon Scott Morrison MP, Prime Minister of Australia aims to provide better support for the 100,000 Australians impacted by perinatal depression and anxiety each year.
The iCOPE digital screening tool is available nationwide to medical health professionals providing perinatal health care services in the public and private health sector. In the public sector, iCOPE is available to all public hospitals, maternal and child health clinics and parenting centres. In the private sector, iCOPE is available to all GPs, private hospitals and specialists (OBGYN).
iCOPE is now being used widely by the Australian medical profession to facilitate fast and efficient perinatal mental health screening.
Adaptation of iCOPE for First Nations peoples
The iCOPE screening tool includes two perinatal mental health screening tools that have been developed specifically for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women: the Kimberley Mum’s Mood Scale, and the Mt Isa Postnatal Depression Scale. These screening tools are now available to all health services across the country via the iCOPE program.
The iCOPE digital screening tool is available in 25 languages:
- English
- Arabic
- Burmese
- Cantonese
- Chin Hakka
- Dari
- Dinka
- French
- Hazaragi
- Hindi
- Indonesian
- Japanese
- Karen
- Central Khmer
- Korean
- Mandarin
- Nepali
- Persian/Farsi
- Punjabi
- Tamil
- Thai
- Turkish
- Tagalog
- Urdu
- Vietnamese