Our Purpose

Whakatakanga 

Our Mission

Our mission is to eliminate the stigma around perinatal mental health in Aotearoa New Zealand by championing awareness and facilitating best practices in perinatal mental health and wellbeing to ensure all families and whānau have equitable access to appropriate information and support.

PADA was formerly the Perinatal Mental Health New Zealand Trust (PMHNZ)

There was no national umbrella organisation for perinatal mental health in Aotearoa New Zealand. A brainstorming day was held in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington in June 2009. This was attended by 30 representatives from a range of agencies and organisations connected with perinatal distress issues from around Aotearoa New Zealand. They identified interests in, aims and objectives for a national networking group for Perinatal Distress. A ‘working group’ was conceived and the Perinatal Mental Health New Zealand Trust was born on 3rd February 2011. The organisation grew rapidly and in 2015 it was decided that a more memorable name was needed but one that still reflected our aims. After much thought, argument and finally consensus, the Perinatal Mental Health New Zealand Trust was reborn as PADA – Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Aotearoa.