This course provides a brief introduction to perinatal mental health with a focus on some specific perinatal mental disorders, and an overview of the potential risks associated with perinatal mental illness.

• Experience and perspectives of the woman, partner and infant
• Factors from the woman’s history and current context which affect her experience of pregnancy, birth and parenting and her risk of perinatal mental illness
• Perinatal depression
• Postpartum psychosis
• Perinatal obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Overview of risk including risk of suicide and risk to the infant
• Overview of professionals and service involved in women’s care during the perinatal period.

We welcome anyone to this course who has a keen interest in the subject area.

In particular, the course is for you if you are a:

1. Mental health practitioner in non-specialist services (Adult and CAMHS) and are keen to develop your knowledge and skills in relation to the care of women in the perinatal period.
2. Non-mental health professional who cares for women during the pregnancy and the postnatal period and you are keen to develop your knowledge and skills in perinatal mental health in order to improve the care you provide. You may be working as a:

• • • Midwife
    • Obstetrician
    • Health Visitor or Health Visitor Assistant
    • Social carer or Social worker
    • Children’s centre and Early Years Practitioner
    • Doula
    • Maternity support worker.

There are no specific requirements for the course, and there’s no assumption you’ll have prior knowledge in mental health.

There’s a multiple choice question assessment at the end of the course.