Screening & Assessment Tools for Health Professionals

COPE has a range of mental health risk assessment tools and other resources to support health professionals deliver best-practice services, based on the recommendations of the National Guideline for Mental Health Care in the Perinatal Period.

National Perinatal Mental Health Guideline

The National Guideline for Mental Health Care in the Perinatal Period was commissioned by the Commonwealth Government of Australia and developed by an Expert Working Group with representatives from professional bodies in primary, maternity, postnatal and mental health care.

Download the Guideline

Purchase hardcopy of the Guideline

Antenatal Risk Questionnaire (ANRQ)

The Antenatal Risk Questionnaire is a mental health risk assessment tool to assess psychosocial risk. There are multiple versions of the Antenatal Risk Questionnaire that can be used dependent on your client’s needs. Find out more about screening for psychosocial risk.

 

Mental health risk assessment tools and resources - COPE

Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS)

The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale can be used to identify possible symptoms of depression in the postnatal period. Find out more about using the EPDS.

 

The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale

Assessing Suicide Risk

Women who appear to have suicidal thoughts should be asked about suicidal thinking and self-harm behaviour. Use the guides and templates below to assess for risk and develop treatment and safety plans. Find out more about assessing suicide risk.

Mental health risk assessment tools and resources - COPE

Assessing Mother-Infant Interaction

Assessing mother-infant interaction should be an integral part of the care of women in the postnatal period, including psychosocial risk factors, infant factors, relationship factors, maternal factors, protective factors and risk to the infant. Use our mental health risk assessment factsheet below to guide you through this process.

iCOPE Digital Screening

iCOPE is an innovative digital screening platform that incorporates both the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and the Antenatal Risk Questionnaire.

It ensures 100% accuracy in scoring, provides automated tailored clinician and patient reports and resources, and facilitates efficient, cost-effective and private screening. Find out today about how you can make the switch to digital screening:

Make the Switch to Digital Screening

A woman holding an iPad using iCOPE screening

Mental Health Fact Sheets

COPE has developed a number of fact sheets for mental health conditions in the perinatal period, such as depression, anxiety, and borderline personality disorder. You can download health professional versions and versions designed for women and their families.