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This module focuses on perinatal mental health, family wellbeing, trauma-informed care and best practice in the context of different cultural factors and health inequalities. This module uses blended learning to equip you with relevant knowledge and skills to increase access to, and delivery of, evidence-based approaches.

1 starting date

  • Starting date:

    • Duration: 12 weeks
    • Fees: £1,125 (£1,405 for overseas students)
    • Course credits: 15
    • Occurs: Thursday
    • Course code: APM067
    • Location: Northampton Square
    • Application deadline:

Perinatal Mental Health Course overview

This module provides students with an overview of perinatal mental health and its impact on women, families and society and the role of individuals and systems in improving outcomes. It looks at how we can apply interdisciplinary learning to the assessment, care and treatment of perinatal mental health difficulties; and to equip those working with perinatal women with the relevant knowledge and skills to increase access to, and delivery of, effective healthcare services through evidence-based approaches.

Who is it for?

This postgraduate module is open to anyone with an interest in perinatal mental health and the transition to parenthood. It is particularly suitable for people working with women and families in the perinatal period.

Timetable

Term 2

Feb: Thursday 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29 February 2024
Mar: Thursday 7, 14 and 21 March 2024
Apr: Thursday 11 and 18 April 2024

Benefits

Benefits

Students will be provided with the latest, evidence-based understanding of perinatal mental health problems, the impact on women and families, as well as best practice in assessment, care and treatment.

Credits

This module is worth 15 credits and can be taken as part of a City PGDip/MSc programme or as a standalone Continuing Professional Development course.

What will I learn?

The module covers the following areas:
  • Introduction to perinatal mental health.
  • Perinatal mental health cultural awareness, inclusivity, families and communities.
  • Impact of perinatal mental health on women and families.
  • Perinatal mental health and parent-infant relationships (prenatal and postnatal).
  • Birth trauma and trauma informed care.
  • High risk groups: physical risk (pregnancy loss, stillbirth, preterm) and psycho-social risk (substance misuse, homelessness, domestic violence, suicide risk).
  • Screening and assessment of perinatal mental health.
  • Support and treatment (stepped care, self-help, clinical guidelines, care planning) and multidisciplinary approaches.
  • Barriers and facilitators to accessing perinatal mental health care and treatment.
  • Best practice in perinatal mental health care (case studies, resources, evaluation).
On successful completion of this module, you should have gained the following and be able to:

Knowledge and understanding:

  • Explore different perinatal mental health symptoms and disorders in terms of prevalence and presentation.
  • Appraise how perinatal mental illness may be experienced by those in various communities with differing risk factors.
  • Discuss critically the impact of perinatal mental illness on women and families.
  • Critically appraise different methods of assessment, treatment and support available for perinatal mental illness.
  • Examine the barriers to people accessing care and services, as well as barriers to services implementing perinatal mental health care and how these can be overcome.

Skills:

  • Communicate effectively with people about perinatal mental health, assessment and treatment using a range of skills and strategies, ensuring your practice supports people being empowered and making informed choices.
  • Communicate and respond effectively to those who disclose perinatal mental illness or score high on assessment.
  • Apply principles of trauma informed care to support people’s perinatal mental health and well-being.
  • Evaluate perinatal services through use of appropriate quantitative and qualitative assessments.

Values and attitudes:

  • Apply and synthesise principles of non-discriminatory non-judgemental person-centred care.
  • Actively advocate and negotiate on behalf of people to promote equitable access to perinatal mental health care and support.

Assessment and certificates

A variety of learning and teaching methods will be used.
Seminars will include activities such as presentations, group work, case studies, self-reflection and academic reading.

Ten in-person seminars provide the key content of the course. A moderated forum will be used to answer questions and support self-directed learning. Key learning and teaching resources will be available on the university virtual learning environment, Moodle.

Seminars:
For this module you will receive ten 2-hour seminars. These seminars will vary in content. Some will begin with a short presentation of the topic, followed by working in one or more groups where you will apply what you have learnt to practice. Some seminars will consist of one or a series of presentations or talks. Seminar groups can help you develop a deep and systematic understanding of subject matter. They encourage team working and can be motivating, enhance communication skills and challenge ways of thinking. Small group work will help you engage in practical sessions to develop your clinical skills, such as through the use of case studies; answering questions to encourage you to reflect on your own experiences or practice; taking part in debates to engage you in group discussions around complex issues. Lecture capture will be used to record seminars which will then be made available on Moodle.

Guided Independent Study:
During the module you will have time allocated to undertake prescribed activities individually or in study groups. These activities may help you to complete the summative assessment.

Moderated Forum:
A dedicated online module forum will provide the opportunity to ask tutors questions about the seminars and self-directed learning.

Tutorials:
In between seminars there will be ten one-hour synchronous drop-in tutorial sessions in which a tutor will be available online to answer these questions and facilitate group discussions.

The assessment for this module is a 3,000 word essay focused on one or more of the seminar topics or a case study. The written assignment has a minimum qualifying mark of 50%. Grade-related criteria will be made available to you prior to completing the assignment.

Credits

This course is worth 15 credits toward eligible programmes.

Eligibility

Module pre-requisites: An interest in maternal and infant mental health. Prior or current experience of working with women and families in the perinatal period may be advantageous but is not essential.

Entry requirements:

As per entry requirements for Masters programmes.

Non EEA students can only apply as part of a programme, not as a stand-alone module

English requirements

For those students whose first language is not English the following qualification is also required:

  • IELTS: 7.0

Recommended reading

Clinical guidelines on care and treatment for perinatal mental health:

  • NICE Antenatal and postnatal mental health (2020): Clinical management and service guidance.
  • SIGN 127 Management of Perinatal Mood Disorders (2012): A national clinical guideline.
  • NICE Pregnancy and Complex Social Factors CG110 (2010): A model for service provision for pregnancy women with complex social factors.

Textbooks on perinatal mental health care:

  • Wenzel, A. (2016). The Oxford Handbook of Perinatal Psychology. Oxford University Press.
  • Martin, C. (2012). Perinatal Mental Health: A clinical guide. M&K Publishing.
  • Hanley, J., & Williams, M. (2019). Fathers and Perinatal Mental Health: A Guide for Recognition, Treatment and Management. Routledge.

Website resources:

  • The Perinatal Mental Health Care Pathways: Full Implementation Guidance (rcpsych.ac.uk)
  • Involving and supporting partners and other family members in specialist perinatal mental health services Good-practice-guide-March-2021.pdf (england.nhs.uk)
  • MBRRACE-UK (2021). Saving Lives, Improving Mothers Care.

Seminar tutors will also suggest recommended reading for specific topics covered.

Tutors

  • Professor Susan Ayers

    Professor of Maternal and Child Health

    Susan is a psychologist specialising in perinatal mental health. She is based in the Centre for Maternal and Child Health Research. Susan is a chartered health psychologist and cognitive behaviour therapist. Her research examines women's mental health during pregnancy and after birth, with a particular focus on anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.

    Since obtaining her PhD from the University of London, Susan has worked at St. George's Hospital Medical School (London) and Brighton and Sussex Medical School (Sussex). Susan is author of Psychology for Medicine and Healthcare (2011, 2018, 2021) and editor of the Cambridge Handbook of Psychology, Health and Medicine (2007, 2019). She has given numerous invited lectures and workshops and was awarded the Annual Lecturer Prize by the Society of Reproductive and Infant Psychology in 2012.

  • Dr Rose Coates

    Research Fellow

    Rose specialises in women’s experiences of maternity care and assessment of perinatal mental health. She is a mixed-methods researcher in the Centre for Maternal and Child Health Research.

    Rose's background is in clinical health psychology, and she has particular interests in maternal mental health. Her expertise lie in the areas of measurement of maternal and infant mental health, women's experiences of mental health and of maternity care, and induction of labour. Rose also works on service evaluations in these areas.

  • Dr Rebecca Webb

    Research Fellow

    Rebecca specialises in perinatal mental health, particularly in how women access health and care services. She is skilled in evidence synthesis and is currently working on the MATRIx project which is a National Institute for Health Research funded project (HS&DR 128068). This evidence synthesis reviewed the research evidence on what prevents women who are pregnant or after birth to get the support and treatment they need if they are struggling with emotional or psychological problems.

  • Dr Amy Delicate

    Research Assistant

    Amy specialises in the impact of birth events on women and their partners, and consequent perinatal mental health needs. She is a qualitative researcher in the Centre for Maternal and Child Health Research working on the MAP Alliance study. This work is investigating womens’ and health care practitioners’ experiences of perinatal anxiety and related services.

    Amy completed her doctorate at City which looked at the impact of birth trauma on the couple relationship and associated support requirements. She has a background in antenatal education and third sector support of new parents.

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