Parent Peers in Remote Western Queensland: Qualitative Evaluation of Novel Perinatal Peer Work Model
Tracks
Monarch
| Thursday, November 5, 2026 |
| 2:00 PM - 2:20 PM |
Overview
Nataya Branjerdporn, Outback Futures
Three Key Learnings
1. The Parent Peer Program is an effective initiative in supporting mothers in rural Australia to promote wellbeing and social support.
2. Parent Peers led to the development of place-based initiatives to support parent wellbeing.
3. Supporting early linkages to services resulted in families accessing early developmental and parenting interventions.
Presenter
Dr Nataya Branjerdporn
First 1000 Days Lead
Outback Futures
Parent Peers in Remote Western Queensland: Qualitative Evaluation of Novel Perinatal Peer Work Model
Presentation Overview
Introduction: Due to the tyranny of distance, mothers and infants in rural Australia have difficulties accessing traditional perinatal and infant mental health services and supports. Perinatal Peer Workers (PPW) are parents with a lived experience with mental health who provide support to other parents who have difficulties with mental health. Research demonstrates the benefits of PPW as they have the advantage of understanding what the other parent is going through, and can share insights into recovery based on their own journey. Peer support has been shown to improve wellbeing and social connectedness in metropolitan settings. This study seeks to understand the experience of peer support from other mothers who are living in rural Australia who attend existing playgroups in the community.
Methods: Qualitative interviews were conducted with parents in Blackall, Tambo, Longreach, Winton and Barcaldine local government areas and Parent Peers. Thematic analysis was completed with two independent raters.
Results: Participants (N = 15) and Parent Peers (N=4) were found to value the Parent Peers' ability to facilitate relationships and connections with other parents and further professional supports. Parents also appreciated the consistency of the Parent Peer in attending each of the playgroups, as well as the warmth and strength of relationship that was developed through active listening skills. Parent Peers voiced that being able to 'sit in the silence' was helpful in being present and 'with' the mothers and infants. The support of Parent Peers also led to the emergence of new place-based initiatives to support parenting and parent wellbeing.
Conclusion: The Parent Peer Program is an effective initiative in supporting mothers in rural Australia to promote wellbeing and social support. Parent Peers is a novel early intervention approach which facilitates the perinatal and infant mental health of mothers and infants at high risk of poorer mental health outcomes.
Methods: Qualitative interviews were conducted with parents in Blackall, Tambo, Longreach, Winton and Barcaldine local government areas and Parent Peers. Thematic analysis was completed with two independent raters.
Results: Participants (N = 15) and Parent Peers (N=4) were found to value the Parent Peers' ability to facilitate relationships and connections with other parents and further professional supports. Parents also appreciated the consistency of the Parent Peer in attending each of the playgroups, as well as the warmth and strength of relationship that was developed through active listening skills. Parent Peers voiced that being able to 'sit in the silence' was helpful in being present and 'with' the mothers and infants. The support of Parent Peers also led to the emergence of new place-based initiatives to support parenting and parent wellbeing.
Conclusion: The Parent Peer Program is an effective initiative in supporting mothers in rural Australia to promote wellbeing and social support. Parent Peers is a novel early intervention approach which facilitates the perinatal and infant mental health of mothers and infants at high risk of poorer mental health outcomes.
Biography
Nataya leads Outback Future’s work in the first 1000 Days which consists of developing our Parent Peer approach, and elevating the importance of the first 1000 days across Western Queensland.
Nataya’s PhD on using a peer-based approach to support maternal-infant mental health in low-income community settings has guided her skills in monitoring and evaluating community-based novel intervention programs in culturally and linguistically diverse communities as well as an emphasis on using qualitative methodologies to support implementation and translation.
