Perinatal Mental Health Module

Overview

This module is a must for those working in healthcare and community services who are looking to develop their knowledge and skills in relation to the care of women and birthing people in the perinatal period. The perinatal period is often a window of opportunity for managing mental health illnesses to prevent avoidable suffering, isolation and loss of life.

The teaching and learning strategy is designed to facilitate learning for busy learners, making it easier to study from home as sessions will be delivered online.

You have the option of studying a single module for 30 credits as part of a certificate, or as part of a master’s degree at Level 6 or 7.

This module will develop your perinatal mental health knowledge and skills within your area of expertise with a focus on the perinatal period. It will give you the expertise to familiarise yourself with the range of mental health illnesses in pregnancy to post-delivery and their management to include national recommendations within the provision of care in maternity.

Particular emphasis will be placed on fostering participatory approaches in a way that facilitates your learning.

For further details please contact A.halawi@mdx.ac.uk

Teaching

Active learning will be used to encourage interaction between learners and tutors, drawing on user and community expertise as well as your own experiences. You will be provided with online learning materials and online lectures as well as additional guided reading.

Engaging with active discussion and reflection will enable you to consolidate, and extend your knowledge, and help to prepare you for the assessment.

Course Content

There will include six sessions (covering the below) that will be delivered on-line with one to one tutorial on completion.

• Principles of perinatal mental health and biopsychosocial model including ethnicity, race, culture and social determinants to mental health illness
• Perinatal depression – prevalence, symptoms and diagnosis /postpartum psychosis – prevalence, symptoms, diagnosis and management
• Safeguarding, risk assessment, management of inter professional working in perinatal mental health
• Perinatal mental health care frameworks and evidence-based practice in perinatal mental health
• Overview of potential risks associated with perinatal mental health disorders, including the risk of suicide and risk to the infant and safeguarding
• Law and ethics and policies and procedures relating to perinatal mental health

Assessment

You will be assessed through a written work.

Teaching dates

This module will be taught online. Dates as below:

All sessions run from 9am-3pm and will be online.

• 18th January 2024
• 1st February 2024
• 22nd February 2024
• 7th March 2024
• 28th March 2024
• 18th April 2024

Assessment date: 9th May 2024
Provisional feedback: 4th June 2024
Academic board: End of June 2024

Entry requirements

Qualifications

• If you choose to study the Level 6 module, you must provide evidence of successful study at Level 5.
• If you choose to study the Level 7 module, you must provide evidence of successful study at Level 6.

Fees and funding

The fees* below refer to the 2023/24 academic year unless otherwise stated.

Per credit: £63
30 credits: £1,890

*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.

How to apply

To apply for this module, please visit our CPD health practitioner page for an application form.