Perinatal Mental Health Simulation Training

Course Outline

This one-day interprofessional course is suitable for a range of professionals in health and social care who are involved in the care of women with mental health problems, both during pregnancy or following delivery. This includes all grades of psychiatrists, obstetricians and GPs, mental health nurses, midwives, health visitors and social workers.

Participants will be involved in a series of simulated scenarios focusing on the assessment and management of a variety of perinatal mental health presentations including antenatal and postnatal depression, postpartum psychosis, obsessive-compulsive disorder, personality disorder and substance misuse. Specific debrief models will be used to allow participants to learn positively and constructively from the experience.

The course addresses the challenges faced when seeing such patients in different environments including the emergency department, the obstetric ward, the GP surgery or community mental health team, and at home. It aims to get different professionals working together to further their understanding of the challenges faced in these situations and build confidence in dealing with them.

Learning objectives

After completing this course those attending will be able to:

• demonstrate improved confidence, knowledge and skills in the assessment and management of perinatal mental illness.

• undertake a comprehensive risk assessment for women with perinatal mental illness with greater confidence.

• demonstrate better understanding of the perspectives of other agencies involved in the care of women with mental health problems in the perinatal period.

• have improved skills and confidence in the assessment and recognition of mental health disorders in the perinatal period and their management.

• better understand the pathways for the management of women with perinatal mental health problems.