Student midwives’ knowledge of perinatal mental health

Abstract

Background: Psychiatric illness is a leading indirect cause of maternal mortality. Earlier studies suggest serious discrepancies in the training and knowledge of midwives with regard to perinatal mental health. Aims: To explore the knowledge and experience of student midwives in the care of women with perinatal mental health problems. Methods: A modified questionnaire was distributed to student midwives near completion of 3-year and 78-week midwifery programmes. Results: Students often under-estimated the risk of women with existing mental health problems developing a serious mental health problem during pregnancy or in the postpartum period. Students felt ill-prepared and lacked confidence in caring for women with serious mental health problems. Conclusion: Recommendations from the findings of this study indicate (1) a review of undergraduate midwifery education in relation to perinatal mental health is needed; (2) a larger study, involving a more diverse sample of students, would enable generalisation to a wider population.