Perinatal Mental Health

This course will equip you with a deeper understanding of crucial perinatal issues, including depression among women, with particular focus on key contributory factors such as screening, social issues, mental health history and postnatal support. You will develop the specialist knowledge and skills to care for babies and families with perinatal mental health needs in this fascinating and informative one-day course for any health practitioner who works with pregnant women and new mothers.

Course content

This workshop provides participants with the opportunity to develop their awareness of the causes, diagnosis, clinical presentation, assessment, and management of mental illness.

A fundamental objective of the Mental Health Five Year Forward Plan is that by 2020/21, there will be improved access to specialist perinatal mental health provision in England. This strategy is in direct result of evidenced difference and disparity in the provision and access to expert perinatal mental health services across the country.

This workshop will equip mental health professionals with the basic skills, knowledge, and confidence to work with women who have perinatal mental health problems.

Topics to be covered

• Background and context of perinatal context
• Recognition and detection of perinatal mental illness
• The role of the health worker
• Understanding the human impact - Keeping the partner/father and family in mind
• National and local policies, procedures, and guidelines
• Stigma and Fear
• Alcohol and drugs in pregnancy
• Safeguarding
• Assessing and managing risk
• Multi-agency working
• and others

Audience — Anyone who is working in mental health services, social care.

Learning and teaching

Study mode: Synchronous online delivery via virtual classroom using one of the following web-based learning and teaching platforms (e.g. MS teams, Kaltura new row, Adobe Connect, Zoom). The content on the day will be delivered via a mixture of PowerPoint presentation, small group exercise and discussion, group feedback and recap/quiz.

Fees and funding

There are several funding options available:

• Receiving course fees via CPPD contracts between NHS trusts and Middlesex University
• Paying your own fees. This course is £110
• Sponsorship by your employer.

Perinatal Mental Health Type: Study day

How to apply

To apply for this module, please download and complete the Entry Criteria Form then complete the Nursing CPD application form. The Entry Criteria form requires you to get signatures from your lead prescriber, your manager and supervisor. Please ensure to upload your completed Entry Criteria form when submitting the completed application form.

Note, both forms must be submitted together for your application to be considered. If you do not send an entry criteria, your application will not be processed without it.

Applications should be submitted before the end of September, for shortlisting for interview. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to a 20-minute online interview via Zoom. You will be interviewed by a member of the teaching team and a service user. Applicants who are a successful at interview will be offered a place for the January intake.

Fees and funding

The fees* below refer to the 2022/23 academic year unless otherwise stated.

£63 per credit
£2,835 for 45 credits

*Course fees are subject to annual inflation.

There are several funding options available:

• receiving course fees via CPPD contracts between NHS trusts and Middlesex University
  paying your own fees
• sponsorship by your employer (but not under a CPPD contract).
• For more information for any of these options, including fee rates for self-funding/employer-sponsored students, please visit our dedicated funding page.