Back to Find Units Page

Unit of Study MIDW2014 - Perinatal Mental Health (2024)

Show me unit information for year

Unit Snapshot

  • Unit type

    UG Coursework Unit

  • Credit points

    12

  • Faculty/College

    Faculty of Health

  • Placement

    No

  • Enrolment information

    N/A

Unit description

Develops knowledge and understanding of the common mental health issues experienced by women during the childbearing continuum and the first year after birth. Explores the psychological health of women across the continuum of pregnancy, birth and postnatal period. Current screening and assessment tools, treatments, support services, risk factors and common psychological health issues are discussed. Consideration of woman, her baby and family’s cultural needs will be examined. Finally, the potential impact on the midwife of working with women and their families experiencing perinatal mental health issues will be explored.

Unit content

  1. Understanding perinatal mental health – overview, screening and assessment
  2. Psychological health issues in the perinatal period – the contributing factors
  3. Supporting women with mental health conditions – common mental health issues and treatment options
  4. The impact of perinatal mental health illnesses – fetal and child development, women, family & community 
  5. Perinatal mental health – drugs, alcohol, trauma and domestic violence 
  6. The midwife and mental health

 

Availabilities

Location Domestic International
Coffs Harbour
Term5
Term5
Gold Coast
Term5
Term5

Learning outcomes

Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

demonstrate knowledge of the common mental health issues experienced by women during the childbearing continuum and the first year after birth

examine the midwife's role in screening, care, and support when working with women and their families experiencing mental health issues during the perinatal period

discuss the cultural, contextual, personal, biological and interpersonal factors that contribute to mental illness

identify the impact working with women, and their families, experiencing perinatal mental health issues can have on the midwife

Prescribed learning resources

Prescribed Texts
  • Prescribed text information is not currently available.
Prescribed Resources/Equipment
  • Prescribed resources/equipment information is not currently available.

Prescribed Learning Resources may change in future Teaching Periods.