Course overview
This 20-hour course will provide an accessible introduction to various types of perinatal mental illness, and the significant effect these can have on women, their infants, partners and families. You will learn about a range of factors that can contribute to mental health problems in pregnancy and after birth, as well as the risks that can be associated with perinatal mental illness. The course also provides information about care and treatment, and the importance of professionals working in partnership.
You will be invited to reflect on your own experience of caring for women with mental health problems during pregnancy and the postnatal period, and by the end of the course you will have acquired practical knowledge and skills which can be integrated into your clinical practice – directly enhancing the care you provide.
Wondering what the course will be like? Download a summary of student & reviewer feedback (PDF).
Course aims
This course will allow you to:
- Appreciate the importance of understanding each woman’s individual context and history, as well as considering the perspectives of the woman, infant and partner
- Study a range of perinatal mental disorders, including their presentation and the effect they can have on women, infants, partners and families
- Build an awareness of risk in the perinatal period, including risk of suicide, risk of domestic abuse, and risk to the infant
- Explore interventions available for women and families, including psychological interventions, the use of medication, and partnership-working
- Identify the professionals and services involved in supporting women, their infants and families across the care pathway.
How will you learn?
- Discover key concepts through interactive lecture content and videos
- Deepen your understanding via regular opportunities for reflection
- Share ideas, questions and experiences in discussion boards
- Explore key ideas with a Clinician-Tutor in a live group webinar
- Test your knowledge with a multiple-choice quiz, and unlock a certificate.
Course topics
- Factors from a woman’s history and current context which can affect her experience of pregnancy, birth and parenting, and her risk of developing perinatal mental health problems
- The woman’s, partner’s and infant’s experiences and perspectives during the perinatal period
- Perinatal mental disorders including perinatal depression, perinatal OCD, postpartum psychosis and post-traumatic stress disorder
- Risks associated with perinatal mental illness, including risk of suicide, risk of domestic abuse and risk to the infant and other children
- Care and treatment including: Screening and identifying women who have, or who are at risk of developing, perinatal mental illness; Psychological interventions for the mother and for the mother-infant relationship; An introduction to the use of medication in pregnancy and breastfeeding; and Multi-agency partnership working.
Who is this course for?
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:
-
- Mental health practitioner in non-specialist services, such as Adult and CAMHS, and are keen to develop your knowledge and skills in relation to the care of women in the perinatal period.
- 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 or Maternity Support Worker
- Obstetrician
- Doula
- Health Visitor or Health Visitor Assistant
- Social Worker or other Practitioner within Social Care
- Children’s Centre or Early Years Practitioner
- Nursery Nurse
- Third Sector Volunteer or Practitioner
- Peer Support Worker.
Know someone who’d enjoy this course? Download a course flyer (PDF) to share with friends and colleagues.
Course requirements/assessment
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, which upon completion will unlock a Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust CPD certificate.
Course Timings
This course runs once per month, and you can pick your preferred start date at the beginning of the registration process. You’ll have access to the course and its materials for a total of one year from the course start date, once you’ve registered and paid.
The course delivers 20 hours of learning, the majority of which you can undertake at a time and pace that suits you. In the third or fourth week of your course, you will also be invited to join a live group webinar with one of our clinical experts, conducted via Zoom.
Live webinar dates and times can be found below:
Course Start Date | Live Webinar Date |
1 August 2022 | Thursday 22 September 2022, 4pm BST |
12 September 2022 | Thursday 17 November 2022, 4pm BST |
10 October 2022 | Thursday 17 November 2022, 4pm BST |
7 November 2022 | Thursday 12 January 2023, 4pm BST |
22 November 2022 | Thursday 12 January 2023, 4pm BST |
5 December 2022 | Thursday 12 January 2023, 4pm BST |
Please note that seminar times are subject to change. If you have any questions or queries, please feel free to contact DigitalAcademy@tavi-port.ac.uk
Course facilitators

Dr Lucinda Green
CPD Certified

This course has been independently evaluated for Continuing Professional Development purposes by The CPD Certification Service. This means that the learning activity meets global CPD standards and benchmarks, and the learning value has been scrutinised to ensure integrity and quality.
Forthcoming course dates
Our Short courses run monthly. Use our secure 'MyTAP' booking system to book a place on the next available course or reserve your place on a future course.
Next start date
Testimonials
Related Courses


