Perinatal Mental Health, MSc at University of Limerick

The overall aim of the Master of Perinatal Mental Health programme is to support health care professionals to work more effectively with parents and their families experiencing perinatal mental health issues. A key goal of this programme is to prepare practitioners for the challenges of leading and delivering quality of perinatal mental health care. To achieve this goal the programme content focusses on providing practitioners with the theoretical underpinnings for the development of knowledge and skills in areas of assessment, screening and therapeutic interventions for persons with perinatal mental health issues.

The programme is listed as full time but is taken on a part time basis.

On completion of the programme students will be able to:

• Appraise evidence informing health care practice in monitoring, coordinating and managing perinatal mental health
• Demonstrate in-depth knowledge and understanding of the assessment and care required to support perinatal mental health
• Critically review current innovations and developments within perinatal mental health
• Discuss factors that influence practice and theoretical knowledge in relation to perinatal mental health
• Value the collaboration within interprofession teams in the provision of quality perinatal mental health care delivery
• Critically discuss the individual roles of the interprofessional team in the provision of effective perinatal mental health care
• Demonstrate the critical thinking skills and the ethical decision making required in the provision of perinatal mental health care
• Critically evaluate, generate and conduct research that will incorporate evidence based practice in perinatal mental health
• Critically appraise strategies to promote, maintain and restore perinatal mental health in relevant care groups
• Critically appraise international and national strategies that are relevant to advancing perinatal mental health care
• Demonstrate synthesis in the integration of national and international evidence to inform perinatal mental health care

The overall aim of the Master of Science in Perinatal Mental Health is to provide healthcare professionals with the opportunity to develop and enhance their knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to care for woman and their families to the highest professional standards across the health care continuum. The modules offered are grounded in a body of evidence-based knowledge that promotes excellence in practice. Successful completion of the Masters in Perinatal Mental Health programme will provide students with the academic qualifications necessary for enhancing their professional role in the healthcare environment. The programme will provide opportunities to explore research in order to further develop evidence-based practice. An essential element of the programme is the application of the specific modules to the students clinical and practice environment.