Online course

Addressing Postnatal Depression as a Healthcare Professional

Understand how postnatal depression affects parental mental health and explore ways to provide support as a healthcare worker.

Addressing Postnatal Depression as a Healthcare Professional

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  • Duration 3 weeks
  • Weekly study 3 hours
  • Learn Free
  • Extra benefits From $74 Find out more

Learn how to offer effective support to new and expecting parents.

During pregnancy and the year after birth, many women can be affected by mood changes, anxiety disorders, and depression. Women report that a key barrier to seeking help is the lack of perinatally-informed treatments and practitioners.

On this course, you will understand the symptoms of postnatal or postpartum depression, how to support clients, and improve their mental health and wellbeing. You will identify the patterns that contribute to the depression cycle and explore how to combat them with coping strategies. This will help your clients stay well during the perinatal period and beyond.

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Skip to 0 minutes and 8 secondsI'm just not enjoying this.

Skip to 0 minutes and 14 secondsI'm missing my old life.

Skip to 0 minutes and 19 secondsI'm lonely and stuck.

Skip to 0 minutes and 25 secondsI'm exhausted.

Skip to 0 minutes and 31 secondsWill it always be like this?

Skip to 0 minutes and 36 secondsI don't know how to cope.

Skip to 0 minutes and 44 secondsI can hear the birds tweet again.

Skip to 0 minutes and 49 secondsI feel like I'm getting better.

Skip to 0 minutes and 55 secondsI feel I know how to ask for help.

Skip to 1 minute and 0 secondsI can see my baby looks at me and wants to be with me. I feel like I know what I need and the steps to get there.

What topics will you cover?

  • Understanding Postnatal Depression, symptoms and cycles
  • Identifying Perinatal TRAPs - Identifying patterns that help maintain the depression cycle.
  • Turning Perinatal TRAPs into TRACs - Breaking patterns by developing alternative coping strategies
  • Support and Communication - Strategies for good communication and asking for support in a postnatal context
  • Being a ‘Good Enough’ Mum - Identifying ‘mummy goals’ and using alternative coping strategies to meet them
  • Staying well - Strategies for staying well in the future

When would you like to start?

Most FutureLearn courses run multiple times. Every run of a course has a set start date but you can join it and work through it after it starts. Find out more

  • Available now
    This course started 20 May 2019

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you'll be able to...

  • Explain what post-natal depression is, when you should treat it and when you should refer
  • Demonstrate a clear understanding of how the postnatal transition and postnatal health may affect parental mental health
  • Demonstrate the ability to adapt evidence based behavioural principles for perinatal- specific concerns
  • Demonstrate an ability to promote effective communication strategies
  • Demonstrate a clear understanding of how to deliver treatment with baby in the room

Who is the course for?

This course is designed for current healthcare professionals or those training to provide perinatal support or mental health care services. It is also beneficial for maternity, general practice, and supervised lay and peer support workers.

Who will you learn with?

heather O'Mahen

heather O'Mahen

I am an academic clinical psychologist at the University of Exeter. My research and clinical work focuses on improving access to effective treatments for perinatal parents with mental health problems

Who developed the course?

The University of Exeter is a Russell Group university. It combines world-class research with very high levels of student satisfaction.

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