Melbourne, Australia – Not-for-profit private health service Cabrini Health, will continue to pioneer female-focussed mental health programs in 2025, by introducing the first ADHD and Autism assessment centre specifically for women.

As the first women-only mental health facility in Australia, Cabrini’s Lisa Thurin Women’s Health Centre in Elsternwick offers gender-sensitive, acute care for conditions such as PTSD, burn-out, mood disorders and addiction.

The centre has treated more than 1200 patients since inception in 2021 and Sharon Sherwood, Cabrini’s Chief of Mental Health, said approximately 50% of patients have either been diagnosed with or are seeking assessment for ADHD or Autism.

“The demand for ADHD and Autism assessments has remained high since COVID as more symptoms became apparent due to a sustained period of less socialisation, structure and routine,” Ms Sherwood said.

In response, Cabrini recently launched a popular 10-week community day program focused on supporting women with understanding their neurotype and using a strengths-based approach to build strategies to use in daily life. Now, thanks to a grant from Cabrini Foundation and the generosity of its donors, Cabrini Women’s Mental Health is set to achieve another Australian-first and become the only female-focussed ADHD and Autism assessment centre.

Founding Medical Director of Cabrini Women’s Mental Health, Professor Jayashri Kulkarni AM, said: “There is a strong correlation between mental health conditions, early life trauma and neurodivergence in women. However alarmingly, women struggle to receive an integrated diagnosis and appropriate treatment. They often don’t know how or where to find the right treatment and we aim to help change that,” she said.

“Too much of Australia’s mental health system is still generic and gender-blind. Women’s mental health is very different due to holistic biopsychosocial factors and they need tailored models of care,” said Prof Kulkarni.

Cabrini Health continues to lead the way in creating female-focused mental health programs and this next step in becoming an ADHD and Autism assessment centre in early 2025, means it can now support neurodivergent patients through their entire journey from diagnosis to ongoing treatment, via its tailored inpatient and outpatient programs.

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Notes to Editors:

Patients interested in Cabrini’s neurodivergence assessments and support programs should email wmh@cabrini.com.au

For media inquiries, please contact:

Verity Lowe – m: 0436 928 801 e: media@cabrini.com.au

About Cabrini Health:

Cabrini Health is a Catholic, not-for-profit private health service located in Melbourne’s southeast. Inspired by the mission and ethic of care of the Cabrini Sisters, we have been providing quality, compassionate care to our community for more than 75 years.

Today, we employ more than 4,500 people and support almost 100,000 episodes of care every year. With hospitals in Malvern, Brighton and Elsternwick, Cabrini offers a comprehensive range of acute, rehabilitation, palliative care, mental health and homecare services.

Our highly-skilled staff and specialists incorporate clinical research, innovative models of care and state-of-the-art technology to deliver the best possible care and outcomes for our patients.