Perinatal Mental Health

The perinatal period is a deeply impactful time for parents as they navigate the various stages prior to conception, during pregnancy, at birth and postpartum. This is commonly a very challenging time, but a clear understanding of the mental health impacts that this period can have on the pregnant parent, their partner and the broader family unit is unfortunately not as common.

In 2023, the Centre of Perinatal Excellence (COPE) released the latest update to the Mental Health Care in the Perinatal Period: Australian Clinical Practice Guideline. This Ausmed Course provides healthcare professionals with a detailed overview of the best-practice recommendations of the revised guideline, with the intent to help increase awareness and understanding amongst those providing frontline care.

Midwives, maternal and child health nurses, registered nurses and other healthcare professionals in hospital and community healthcare settings looking to increase their understanding of recognising and caring for a person with a perinatal mental health disorder.

Perinatal mental health struggles affect 1 in 5 new mothers, with 20% of that population experiencing symptoms of suicidal ideation or undertaking self-harm. 1 in 10 fathers are also affected, yet 45% are not aware of the fact that perinatal mental health struggles can apply to them in the first place. Despite the apparent prevalence of perinatal mental health concerns, obstacles to obtaining assistance, support and treatment still exist.

These alarming statistics indicate a significant lack of sufficient education and awareness for both the new parents and their healthcare providers, which can lead to further under-recognition and under-treatment of perinatal mental health disorders. A lack of treatment for individuals struggling with their mental health during the perinatal period can result in serious consequences for their safety and overall health outcomes.

Therefore, clear education and training addressing mental health concerns for patients and families in the perinatal period is imperative to empower healthcare professionals working with these groups with the necessary knowledge, confidence, training and skills to provide effective and well-tailored care and support.

The purpose of this course is to provide healthcare professionals working with mothers and families in the perinatal period with a clear understanding of perinatal mental health and empower them with appropriate strategies and resources in order to increase positive outcomes for this population group.