Program Overview

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Perinatal Mental Health (Maternal, Infant and Family) (Level 7, 30 credits)

Overview

This course aims to develop knowledge and skills in relation to perinatal mental health (PIMH) problems, offering appropriate care and support for pregnant women, mothers, infants, and their families. It will also help develop critical understanding of the evidence base related to the appropriate management and treatment of mild-moderate and severe PIMH problems, in the mother and the promotion of infant wellbeing.

Course Details

This module will enable you to develop expertise in perinatal mental health in relation to pregnant and new mothers, their infants, and family. The module runs over one semester. You would be required to attend for one week block and then three single study days which will deliver the taught components. The other weeks will be in practice developing clinical skills.

Taught sessions will include theory and practice where discussion is encouraged. We will use clinical scenarios throughout the module to explore the identification, assessment, and management of perinatal mental health illness including care and support for the infant and wider family. It is anticipated that students will contribute to the taught sessions as we feel that sharing good practice is an important component of this module.

On successful completion, you will be able to demonstrate:

• Knowledge and skills in relation to PIMH, identifying, assessing, and supporting pregnant and new mothers, their infants, and families.
• Critical awareness of the potential impact of psychological/emotional changes during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postnatal period on the mother, infant partner, and family.
• Critical understanding of safeguarding, legal, and policy issues related to PIMH, including engagement in collaborative working within the multidisciplinary and agency team.
• Critical understanding of the evidence relating to the complex factors that may increase the risk of PIMH problems.
• Critical understanding of the assessment, referral pathways, and treatment options for PIMH issues.

What Will I Be Doing?

• Lectures: You will be required to undertake learning prior to commencement of the module via a learning package, formative assessment will be conducted within lecture-based sessions via quizzes, Q&A, and game activity.
• Seminars: You will have formative assessment of communication, team working, and understanding via discussion group and scenario-based activity.
• Tutorials: You will be provided with formative feedback on written work and will be given the opportunity of a practice viva and provided with feedback from this formative assessment. Tutorials will be provided either face-to-face or by email or Skype.
• Directed study: You will be directed to appropriate online resources developing their IT skills.
• Case studies: Use of case studies within the teaching and group activity will facilitate effective learning and simulated multidisciplinary working, developing communication and problem-solving skills.

Assessment

The assessment for this Perinatal Health module is a viva voce assessment.

Employment and Stats

This module would help to develop or enhance your knowledge and skills related to caring for pregnant women, new mothers, their infants, and families with perinatal mental health problems. This module would be especially beneficial for those already working in specialist perinatal mental health roles or those aspiring to work in such roles.

Career Links

We work with over 100 health and social care organisations so our links with industry are very strong. These relationships will be of direct benefit to you because our academic team work in practice in some of these organisations at a senior level so are able to keep you at the forefront of developments in the sector which in turn help you provide a better service.

Requirements

This module is aimed at midwives, health visitors, neonatal nurses, mental health nurses, and other health care professionals working with women and families.

Entry Requirements

• You must have a health professional qualification recognised by a professional body such as the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
• You should also have an undergraduate degree grade 2:1 or above.

Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL)

We welcome applications from students who may not have formal/traditional entry criteria but who have relevant experience or the ability to pursue the course successfully.

The Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) process could help you to make your work and life experience count. The APL process can be used for entry onto courses or to give you exemptions from parts of your course.

Two forms of APL may be used for entry: the Accreditation of Prior Certificated Learning (APCL) or the Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL).

Fees

Type of study | Year | Fees
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Part-time | 2025/26 | £1,530 per 30 credit module

Additional Costs

You should also consider further costs which may include books, stationery, printing, binding, and general subsistence on trips and visits.