A novel course will soon help nurses, young mothers, and pregnant women prepare themselves for the physiological and psychological changes they undergo during a very important phase in their life.
The Madras School of Social Work (MSSW) has proposed to launch a year-long postgraduate diploma course in perinatal health this semester, in association with a non-governmental organisation, Thunai Trust. The course will begin on September 20, MSSW Dean R. Subashini said.
Thunai Trust founder Girish Kumar’s personal experience shaped the idea. “Thunai’s core area is mental health. One in four women go through perinatal depression,” he said.
‘A distressing part’
The course will also deal with a little discussed, but distressing, part of growing up — recovering from child abuse. This is true for men and women, he explained. “We will have global faculty and talent, teach students, and the MSSW faculty members will conduct interactive classes,” he said.
The course will be offered in a hybrid mode and is aimed at community healthcare workers. Thunai is working with the Railway Hospital, a private fertility clinic, and the Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, where its volunteers conduct awareness sessions for mothers. Students will have practical sessions in hospital settings, Mr. Kumar said.
More about psychology
“The aim is to equip professionals, even if they do not have any background in psychology,” said Smita Rajan, co-founder and in-charge of programmes and outreach at the NGO. “The perinatal period starts when the baby is in utero and goes on until two years of the child’s development. The programme is for medico-social workers. A big part of the course is about psychology, and those without a psychological background will get a bridge course. The course content bridges the physiological and psychological aspects of human development in terms of mental health,” she added.
The course includes 100 hours (about eight days) of theory, with lectures by World Health Organization representatives. The course content was developed with the support of V.D. Swaminathan, a retired professor of psychology of the University of Madras. Mr. Swaminathan said that at a point of time, most of his Ph.D students were women, and this set him thinking. The opportunity presented itself when he was invited to share his expertise in developing the syllabus.
Ms. Subashini, who was the former head of the Department of Psychology at the MSSW, has a special interest in the course as it pertains to psychology. The diploma would enrich the learning experience of adults who are pursuing a career and need to upgrade their knowledge and skills, she explained. “At the end of the course, the candidate will have knowledge of perinatal distress, risk factors, causes, and its wide-ranging impact on the health and well-being of mother and child.”
Published - September 08, 2024 11:14 pm IST
