PERINATAL MENTAL HEALTH - 2025/6

Module code: NUR2124

Module Overview

Students will be introduced to the concept of perinatal mental health and to understand its importance relating to pregnancy and the puerperium

Module provider

School of Health Sciences

Module Leader

SARAVIA Vikki (Health Sci.)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 5

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Overall student workload

Independent Learning Hours: 118

Seminar Hours: 28

Practical/Performance Hours: 4

Module Availability

Semester 2

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

To have completed the previous first year modules or equivalent.  

Module content

Indicative content includes:



  • Common mental health disorders


  • Treatment & care pathways


  • Substance misuse


  • Societal and cultural attitudes to mental health disorders


  • Eating disorders


  • Postnatal depression and puerperal psychosis


  • Violent and disturbed behaviour


  • Maternal mortality in relation to perinatal mental health


  • Maternal mental wellbeing and the effect on the neonate and children


  • Baby massage and attachment


  • Psychological wellbeing of partners and the family


  • Post traumatic stress disorders


  • Managed care networks


  • Antenatal depression and risk assessment


  • Midwives psychological wellbeing


Assessment pattern

Assessment type Unit of assessment Weighting
Coursework ESSAY 100

Alternative Assessment

None

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate successful completion of the module learning outcomes.

 

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

Using a Stepped Care Model and with reference to the module learning outcomes; discuss the role of the midwife in assessing and planning care for a woman who you have cared for in practice with either: Perinatal depression or Perinatal anxiety



Essay - 2000 words - 100%



For this assignment, the student is required to address the module learning outcomes in relation to a specific case from practice.



The student should demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the outcomes, using relevant primary evidence and literature from a range of academic sources to support your arguments. This primary evidence should be discussed critically in relation to assessing and planning care for the client.



The student should develop a clearly structured essay which has a logical flow.



The essay should demonstrate both comprehension and analysis of the topic and the ability to apply the theory you have been taught to the case.



The work should be presented clearly and written in an academic style using correct grammar and spelling.



The work should be written in the third person in order to avoid being overly personal, and the passive voice used where appropriate.



The student should use effective interpretation and paraphrasing of sources, and provide an accurate reference list following the Health and Social Care referencing guidelines.



N.B. If a student recommends care which is unsafe practice; the assessment will be awarded a fail grade.

 

Formative assessment – submission of a short paragraph of up to a maximum of 300 words into the formative assessment folder.
 

Feedback

Received via surreylearn.

Module aims

  • develop an understanding of the research, care and treatment of mothers with existing and current mental health issues which arise before, during and after birth.

Learning outcomes

Attributes Developed
1 Demonstrate an awareness of the psychological effects of pregnancy, childbirth and lactation and the effects on body image, sexuality and self-image and how these can affect mental wellbeing in the mother, baby and family; evaluating the role of specialist midwives and counselling services in supporting women.
2 Identify the main types of mental health disorders encountered in women during the childbearing continuum and their possible management/ treatments, demonstrating an awareness of the role of the multi-disciplinary team in assessment, planning and managing care delivery and relate the key recommendations of the MBRRACE-UK report to their area of practice.
3 Identify the signs, symptoms and treatment options for women experiencing mental health problems for the first time in the perinatal period, including the issues raised if drugs and complementary therapies are used in pregnancy or during lactation.
4  Demonstrate an awareness of the types of emergency procedures that may be needed when caring for women with violent or disturbed behaviour.
5 Analyse and evaluate research into the effect of maternal mental health problems on the fetus, baby and developing child and the role of health care professionals in reducing adverse effects

Attributes Developed

C - Cognitive/analytical

K - Subject knowledge

T - Transferable skills

P - Professional/Practical skills

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:

Enable successful completion of the essential skills required for midwifery practice


The learning and teaching methods include:

 
Taught classroom-based theory

 

Case discussion

 

Formative feedback

 

Group work

 

Service user involvement

 

Simulation

 

Debate

 

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: NUR2124

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2025/6 academic year.