Evaluation of a pilot online education program to develop midwives' knowledge, skill and confidence in perinatal mental health in rural South Australia.

UNLABELLED: 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.