This module will explore the connection between anxiety and drinking, and help you set some goals for the program with regards to your drinking, anxiety, and relationship with your child/children.
About the Program
Developed by psychologists and researchers, and co-designed with mothers who have lived experience.
Over the past 15 years, our team of researchers and psychologists have been researching the most effective treatments for anxiety and alcohol use. Drawing on this extensive research, we have developed a range of online programs tailored for different groups.
This particular program is designed for mums in the early stages of parenthood. It was developed in collaboration with mums who have first-hand experience navigating the challenges of this transitional period.
The digital program contains 6 modules that aim to be easy to access and user-friendly, and support mums who need some assistance managing anxiety symptoms and establishing healthy boundaries around alcohol. To enhance the experience, participants will also have two access to telehealth sessions with a psychologist as part of the program.
A sneak peek of the Healthy Mum, Healthy Bub program
The Healthy Mum, Healthy Bub program contains six sequential modules that are grounded in two evidence-based approaches for treating anxiety and alcohol use concerns, known as Motivational Interviewing and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. Here’s a brief look at the module content:
MODULE 1
Understanding anxiety, alcohol, & setting goals
MODULE 2
Challenging unhelpful thoughts
This module introduces cognitive therapy and its application to anxious thoughts. It also helps identify your triggers for drinking and discusses ways to better understand your child’s emotional wellbeing.
MODULE 3
Drinking thinking and proactive problem solving
This module helps build practical problem-solving skills to anticipate and prepare for difficult moments, and applies cognitive strategies to challenge “drinking thinking”—the unhelpful ways we talk to ourselves about drinking and its perceived positive effects. The module also introduces some evidence-based skills for improving your relationship with your child/children.
MODULE 4
Facing fears through small behavioural experiments
This module focuses on understanding avoidance and learning how to face fears in a gradual, manageable way. It also introduces strategies for communicating assertively, helping you express your needs and navigate challenging situations with confidence.
MODULE 5
Developing support networks and focusing on the future
This module focuses on developing supportive connections, identifying and managing social triggers that influence your drinking, and navigating changes to identity that come with motherhood.
MODULE 6
Implementing self care and staying on track
This final module focuses on longer-term goal setting, maintaining progress and managing setbacks, and continuing to apply the skills you have learned throughout the program to manage your anxiety and drinking beyond the program.
How the program works
The Healthy Mum, Healthy Bub program is currently available (at no cost) to mums with a child under 3 years of age as part of a research trial being conducted by the University of Sydney.
There are 5 steps involved to participate in our trial:
1
Register
Register via this website and complete a short survey to check if the study is a good fit for you.
2
Good fit?
If the program is a good fit for you, you will have a quick chat with one of the study psychologists and complete a longer survey to build our understanding of your anxiety, drinking and mental health concerns.
3
Randomly grouped
You will be randomly allocated into one of two groups who will receive either i) immediate access to the Healthy Mum, Health Bub program or ii) be placed on a waitlist to receive the program after 4 months.
4
Project requirements
The Healthy Mum, Healthy Bub group will be asked to complete 6 digital modules and two telehealth calls with a psychologist. The control group will get a list of support services and later access to the program.
5
Follow-up surveys
You will get email/SMS prompts to complete a follow-up survey after 2 and 4 months to track changes to your anxiety and drinking. You will be reimbursed with a voucher for each survey.
1
Register
Register via this website and complete a short survey to check if the study is a good fit for you.
2
Good fit?
If the program is a good fit for you, you will have a quick chat with one of the study psychologists and complete a longer survey to build our understanding of your anxiety, drinking and mental health concerns.
3
Randomly grouped
You will be randomly allocated into one of two groups who will receive either i) immediate access to the Healthy Mum, Health Bub program or ii) be placed on a waitlist to receive the program after 4 months.
4
Project requirements
The Healthy Mum, Healthy Bub group will be asked to complete 6 digital modules and two telehealth calls with a psychologist. The control group will get a list of support services and later access to the program.
5
Follow-up surveys
You will get email/SMS prompts to complete a follow-up survey after 2 and 4 months to track changes to your anxiety and drinking. You will be reimbursed with a voucher for each survey.
Who is the study suitable for
The study is suitable for Australian mothers aged 18 years or older who experience anxiety and have concerns around their alcohol use during the first 3 years after having a baby.
While the Healthy Mum, Healthy Bub program and our study is delivered online, we are not a crisis service. If you’re feeling suicidal or unsafe, please reach out now to one of the services listed on the Urgent Help page.
The program is suitable for mums who are ready to commit about 1 hour per week to develop skills to better manage their anxiety and drinking.
The science behind this study and our research
The Healthy Mum, Healthy Bub program uses two evidence-based therapies called Motivational Interviewing and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT). These types of therapy have been shown in many research studies to be effective at reducing symptoms of anxiety and in helping people to better control their alcohol use. These therapies are recommended in Australian clinical practice guidelines for anxiety and alcohol management, as well as clinical guidelines for managing co-occurring conditions.
There are several reviews available, outlining the effectiveness of these therapies for anxiety, alcohol use, and their co-occurrence:
- Review of CBT for managing anxiety.
- Review of CBT for managing alcohol use.
- Review of Motivational Interviewing for managing alcohol use.
- Review of CBT and other treatments for managing co-occurring anxiety and substance use disorders.
The Healthy Mum, Healthy Bub program combines both therapies and builds on our team’s evidence-based interventions tested in several Australian research studies, which have demonstrated benefits in reducing co-occurring conditions including anxiety, alcohol use and low mood, and improving quality of life (e.g., the Inroads Program, the Postnatal Anxiety and Depression Program, and the Combined Alcohol Social Phobia Program).
