Infant and Perinatal Wellbeing
This page has been created to support the integration into curricula of knowledge and skills relating to infant and perinatal mental wellbeing and ill-health. It was created following an mhhe workshop on learning and teaching about perinatal mental health at Staffordshire University in January 2009 - Learning and teaching about perinatal mental health: Don't let women fall through the net.
You will find here: General Resources, Publications and Reports, Curriculum Frameworks and Training Materials and Details of Modules and Programmes.
1. General Resources
CSIP Perinatal and infant mental health pages
CSIP pages with a lot of helpful links.
National Perinatal Mental Health project
The National Gender Equality and Women's Mental Health Programme hosts the National Perinatal Mental Health Project The project aims to facilitate the development of managed care networks within each region and work across government departments to establish ways to encourage different agencies to work together better. To make connections with the wide number of key stakeholders who have a responsibility for maternal mental health. To facilitate the development of a national network to address issues related to perinatal mental health. To develop strategies for addressing the specific needs of women from a black and minority ethnic group and introduce these strategies to the regional networks.
Quality Network for Perinatal Mental Health Services
Following the inquiry into the deaths of Daksha and Freya Emson in October 2003 and the publication of the Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths in 2001 and 2004, the Royall College of Psychiatry made a commitment to promote perinatal mental health. The Quality Network for Perinatal Mental Health Services was launched, as part of this commitment, to develop and maintain standards for mother and baby units.
Perinatal and Infant Mental Health (PIMH) Network
The National CAMHS Implementation Lead National CAMHS Support Service (NCSS) in the Care Services Improvement Partnership (CSIP) and the National Clinical Director for Children and Young People agreed that a national Perinatal and Infant Mental Health (PIMH) network for England would be created 2007-8.
UK registered charity for women and their families, who think they have any type of perinatal mental health problem.
Elaine Hanzak is a trainer and speaker on puerperal psychosis. Her website contains a range of interesting information, including a link to her own book: ‘Eyes without Sparkle'.
Parental Mental Health and Child Welfare Network (PMHCWN)
Set up to promote joint working between social care and health staff working with parents with mental health problems or their children. The Network is led by a steering group of representatives from leading mental health and children's organisations and service users and coordinated by the Social Perspectives Network. Service users and carers are involved in every aspect of the Network's activity.
2. Publications and reports
Modern Management of Perinatal Psychiatric Disorder 2009
This book provides both trainees in perinatal psychiatry and the generalist who wishes to know more with an up-to-date overview of the subject. In addition, it is a useful resource for other professionals working in the field such as nurses, psychologists, obstetricians, midwives and health visitors. The chapters address historical and classification issues, the management of both new onset and existing mental disorders (including substance misuse) presenting in pregnancy and the postpartum period, prescribing and physical treatments during pregnancy and breast feeding. Also covered are issues for children and families, screening for and prevention of mental disorders in relation to childbirth, service provision and transcultural issues. View a sample chapter
Out of the Blue - Motherhood and Depression 2006
Mind commissioned Dr Margaret Oates, Lead Clinician, and Dr Ian Rothera, Project Manager for the Perinatal Mental Health Managed Care Network Project, Trent Strategic Health Authority, to survey the views of women, with the assistance of PNI-UK, a charity for women experiencing perinatal ill-health. One hundred and forty-eight women filled out a questionnaire posted on PNI-UK's website, and further in-depth interviews were conducted with a number of women, to provide some of the data and case studies included in the report.
Infant mental health - a guide for practitioners 2007
This Guide will be of interest to those working with infants, their parents and carers, and those engaged in educating children, young people and adults in issues around childcare and parenting. The good practices highlighted here have been evaluated by the Scottish Executive's Short Life Working Group on Infant Mental Health as those most likely to promote the improvement of infant mental health. Other interventions, whose degree of effectiveness is less well supported, are also detailed and the reasons for their less favoured status discussed.
Planning and Implementing Mental Health Training
This article describes the development of a training day for maternity professionals on perinatal mental health. The need for such ongoing training has been highlighted by the Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths. Death from psychiatric causes has been the leading cause of maternal death for the last two Triennia. The aims of the training programme are to improve the detection of women with current mental health problems and those at high risk of a serious mental illness following delivery in order to improve the care and support offered to them throughout their contact with maternity services. The training day aims to facilitate improvements in knowledge, attitudes and skills of midwives and obstetricians in relation to mental health. The article sets out the programme for the day and the lessons learned by the team providing the training to assist others who are hoping to develop perinatal mental health training programmes in their area.
Perinatal mental health and child protection - making the links through training
This article refers to the impact on single discipline working on professional understanding of mental disorder, particularly as it relates to child protection. The dilemmas of bringing a multi-agency group with diverse experiences and knowledge base together into one training event are considered, with suggestions as to how the difficulty might be addressed. Topics of common concern are identified and training techniques and methods described. The benefits and outcomes of joint training across disciplines and agencies is acknowledged in relation to child protection and parental mental disorder.
3. Curriculum frameworks and training materials
Perinatal Mental Health Curricula Framework - NES Scotland 2006
The Curricular Framework which follows is the result of a multidisciplinary collaboration of practitioners and educationalists working in Scotland with expertise in perinatal mental health. The learning outcomes and indicators of achievement are based directly on the evidence based recommendations of recent policy documents, described in part above. It is hoped that the Framework will be used as a practical tool by educationalists to assist in the development of the perinatal mental health aspects of pre-registration, undergraduate, post-registration and postgraduate educational programmes. Includes a very helpful bibliography.
4. Modules and programmes
Perinatal mental health for health and social care professionals - Glasgow Caledonian
This module is for all practitioners that work with women and their families throughout the perinatal period. The module is designed to give you the student knowledge and understanding of the elements that influence the mental health of women in the perinatal period and the effect perinatal mental illness has on the family. This module will give the practitioner an understanding of the evidence based assessment tools and strategies for prevention and treating perinatal mental illness. This module is also designed to give the practitioner the skills to develop local strategies to enhance prevention and treatment of perinatal mental health and provide advice on screening and treatment for perinatal mental health.
Perinatal mental health - Anglia Ruskin University
Mental illness related to the perinatal period is one of the most prevalent complications for childbearing women today. Its impact on women and their families can be profound. If left undiagnosed and untreated, it can lead to tragedies such as chronic affective disorders, poor mother-infant bonding, marital discord, divorce, suicide, infanticide, child neglect and substance misuse. This module is open to any professional involved in the care of women who have just given birth. It aims to develop understanding of the role and responsibilities of the professional in relation to the identification and care of childbearing women with psychiatric illness.
Perinatal mental health - Sheffield Hallam University
This module aims to work with midwives and health and social care professionals, e.g. Social Workers, Mental Health Nurses, Health Visitors and Children Nurses, with the aim of sharing expertise in perinatal mental health and social care. It provides opportunities for the exploration of perinatal mental health issues across different organisational settings, in the context of team work and inter professional practice with a view to exploration and development of every day practice.
Women and Mental Health - University of Hull
Women and Mental Health is a relatively new and contemporary topic area, with the issue being raised in the Confidential Enquiry in Maternal and Child Health report (CEMACH DoH 2004) that psychiatric illness is the largest cause of maternal deaths overall, alongside broader mental health concerns specifically related to women. Issues such as misdiagnosis and inappropriate management are prompting further studies and research into this largely uncharted area. This module is designed to equip all health care professionals particularly Midwives, Mental Health and Social Care Practitioners to work effectively with individuals, couples and families within whatever work environment they are employed.
Emotional Effects of Childhood - Napier University
This module will enable learners to develop your understanding of women's emotional needs and extend the support offered to them around the time of childbirth in order to meet these needs. In school of nursing and midwifery.
Perinatal mental health - Kings College, London
The aim of this module is to enable midwives to further their understanding of mental health issues in relation to childbearing women and their families. To be able to apply this knowledge to their practice and respond holisitcally to the needs of women in their care.
MSc in Maternal and Child Health - socio-cultural perspectives - St Georges, University of London
The course offers the opportunity for practitioners working in maternity and children's services across health and social care settings to acquire the skills of critical enquiry and appreciation of the underlying theory and principles guiding their practice. There is an emphasis on examining the best methods of integrating relevant theory and research into individual practice. Includes a focus on perinatal mental health.
STOP PRESS!
A new module on perinatal and infant emotional wellbeing is to be added to the training pack - Everybody's Business. Further details.
Forthcoming conference
National Overview of Perinatal Mortality - 24 June 2009, London