The document describes the Kimberley Mum's Mood Scale (KMMS) validation project, which aims to improve mental health screening for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. The KMMS was developed and validated in the Kimberley region as an adapted, culturally-appropriate alternative to standard postnatal depression screening tools. It focuses on strengths, resilience and risk factors through a narrative-based approach. Consultations found the KMMS acceptable to women and health professionals. The project now aims to validate and implement the KMMS in other regions like the Pilbara and Far North Queensland to improve screening rates and support for Indigenous women.

1. Kimberley Mum’s Mood Scale
(KMMS) Validation Project
Improving mental health screening
for Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander women
Emma Carlin- Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Service Senior Research
Officer/ Research Fellow UWA
Di Jans- KMMS Project Officer; Care & Protection of Children Advisor;
Stillbirth, Cape York Parents Story Project; Maternal Child Health Social
Work - Apunipima Cape York Health Council

2. PERINATAL MENTAL HEALTH
• Important for all women
• Rates are unknown
• Clinical screening is a routine and effective
way to provide support and early
intervention

3. PERINATAL MENTAL HEALTH SCREENING
• In Australia, national clinical guidelines
recommend routine use of the the
Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale
(EPDS)
• Research shows Aboriginal women are 4
times less likely to be screened

4. HISTORY – DEVELOPMENT IN THE KIMBERLEY
• 100 Kimberley Aboriginal women and their health care
professionals
• KMMS Part 1- adapted version of the EPDS
• KMMS Part 2- template for a psycho social yarn a participant
led, narrative based exploration of a woman’s risk and
protective factors, resilience and strengths

7. HISTORY – VALIDATION IN THE KIMBERLEY
• KMMS was validated with 91 Aboriginal women
• Aboriginal women completed the KMMS with a
health professional and were then assessed by
a GP
• The KMMS can accurately identify depression/
anxiety
• Acceptable to women and health professionals

8. WHAT WE LEARNT IN THE KIMBERLEY
• Rapport is crucial
• The KMMS was seen as a time for ‘listening
and yarning’
• Women valued the focus on their strengths
and resiliency

9. What now?
The KMMS is the first validated
Aboriginal specific perinatal depression
and anxiety tool
How do we implement the KMMS into
routine clinical practice across the
Kimberley?
Could the KMMS be clinically valid and
acceptable to other regions?

10. What’s happening?
• KAMS, member services and WACHS keen
to implement and evaluate the KMMS in
routine clinical care
• Pilbara and Far North Queensland
partnership to validate KMMS
• Phase 1- Consultation
• Phase 2- Validation

11. SETTING THE SCENCE FOR VALIDATION PILBARA &
FNQ
• Depth interviews with 15 Aboriginal women
in the Pilbara and 11 Aboriginal women in
Cape York
• Depth interviews 19 health professionals
involved with women during the perinatal
period in the Pilbara and 23 in Cape York

12. CONSULATATION FINDINGS- MENTAL HEALTH
DURING THE PERINATAL PERIOD
• Women spoke about their or a close family
member’s experience with perinatal depression or
anxiety
• Other women identified extreme and multiple
stressors during the perinatal period (violence,
homelessness, issues surrounding drugs/alcohol
use, DCP intervention, traumatic birth outcomes)
• These women talked about things being ‘hard’ or
‘stressful’’

13. CONSULTATION FINDINGS: MENTAL HEALTH
LANGUAGE
“I never heard anyone say they are
depressed, I hear them say they are
‘stressing out’, ‘going mad’. We find it hard to
talk about pain, I don’t know why, I think as
Aboriginal people we like to laugh and talk for
the good times but now everyone has a story
of pain and we don’t know how to talk.”

14. CONSULTATION FINDINGS: CELEBRATING RESILIENCY
“Talking about the protective stuff, right,
the stuff that keep us going, keeps us
strong, that’s something. We are living this
life the best way we can and for us to hear
that, to talk about it. For clinic, my midwife
to hear that. Now that is a powerful thing.”

15. WHAT HEALTH PROFESSIONAL SAID
“Understanding risk factors is very important for us.
Our patients glaze over words, multiple choice. Partly
literacy, but partly the concepts are unfamiliar. The
focus on strengths is important. This is the reality for
women. In case you haven’t noticed its not resource
rich out there, seeing it through their eyes, how they
are managing. That is the best insight we can get. It
is a continuous process, I think the KMMS approach
reflects that”

16. CONSULTATION SUMMARY
• Women and health professionals found the KMMS
an acceptable screening tool and were keen to trial
the KMMS in clinical settings
• Several quality improvement initiatives were raised
during the consultation which led to the refreshed
graphics and a new manual
• Ethical approvals sought
• Regional project officers employed

17. NEXT STEPS
• Training and supporting staff and clinics to use the
KMMS
• Assessing ‘user acceptability’: women and their
health care professionals?
• Sustainability and adaptability (regional name
changes perhaps?)
• After recruitment stops- Statistical analysis starts
(specificity, sensitivity, cut points)

18. FNQ

19. Significance
• Mental health crucial in achieving and
maintaining other primary health benefits
• Health services that have training and tools to
approach perinatal mental health in a way that
is culturally safe has untold benefits for
mothers and their families
• We hope the KMMS will be valid and
acceptable for other regions and become the
screening tool of choice for ACCHOS across
the country.

20. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND THANKS
• To our partner services for working with us to
improve screening rates and the impact of
screening for Aboriginal women.
• To the women who consented to be part of the
consultation. Thankyou, your stories motivate us
to make this project the best it can be.

21. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND THANKS
Photo permission granted

22. Questions?
For information:
emma.carlin@rcswa.edu.au
https://kahpf.org.au/kmms