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
- Obstetrician
- Health Visitor or Health Visitor Assistant
- Social carer or Social worker
- Children’s centre and Early Years Practitioner
- Doula
- Maternity 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.
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 eight weeks after 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 |
01 February 2021 | 25 February 2021 at 4pm UK time |
01 March 2021 | 25 March 2021 at 4pm UK time |
29 March 2021 | 21 April 2021 at 4pm UK time |
26 April 2021 | 20 May 2021 at 4pm UK time |
24 May 2021 | 17 June 2021 at 4pm UK time |
21 June 2021 | 15 July 2021 at 4pm UK time (TBC) |
19 July 2021 | 12 August 2021 at 4pm UK time (TBC) |
Course facilitators

Dr Lucinda Green
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.