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Evaluation of a pilot online education program to develop midwives’ knowledge, skill and confidence in perinatal mental health in rural South Australia
McKellar, Lois Martinez, Lee De Sousa Machado, Tiffany Eden, Amye Stoodley, Cathy Adelson, Pamela
McKellar, Lois
Martinez, Lee
De Sousa Machado, Tiffany
Eden, Amye
Stoodley, Cathy
Adelson, Pamela
Abstract
One in five women will experience perinatal anxiety and/or depression. In South Australia, a rural health service identified a high proportion of women with risk of perinatal mental health challenges and sought additional education for midwives. In response, a six-week facilitated, online perinatal mental health education program (e-PMHEP) was piloted.
Aim
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the (e-PMHEP) for rural midwives, nurses and Aboriginal maternal infant care practitioners.
Method
Program evaluation incorporated a validated online pre/post survey to assess self-reported knowledge, skill and confidence regarding perinatal mental healthcare. Additional questions sought feedback on satisfaction and feasibility.
Findings
Sixteen participants from rural South Australia engaged in the project from June to August 2022. Twelve participants completed the online pre/post survey. The overall pre/post knowledge scores were statistically significant (t = 2.73, 8df, p = 0.025) with improvement from the pre to post-test. Pre/post data also showed a measurable increase in confidence and skills. All respondents agreed that the content addressed their learning needs and would recommend this program to other practitioners.
Discussion
The e-PMHEP appeared beneficial in developing knowledge, skills and confidence regarding perinatal mental healthcare in rural midwives and practitioners. Only a third of practitioners routinely developed a mental health care plan with women. Key strengths of the program included the accessible content, and the combination of an experienced mental health clinician and a facilitator with lived experience.
Conclusion
Providing an accessible, facilitated online perinatal mental health education program could be beneficial for rural midwives.
Keywords
rural /regional, midwife, perinatal mental health, education
Date
2024
Type
Journal article
Journal
Women and Birth
Book
Volume
37
Issue
2
Page Range
355-361
Article Number
ACU Department
School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine
Faculty of Health Sciences
Faculty of Health Sciences
Relation URI
Source URL
Event URL
Open Access Status
Published as ‘gold’ (paid) open access
License
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
File Access
Open
Notes
2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of Australian College of Midwives. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).