Contents

1. Acknowledgements
2. Introduction
   1. About Bettercare
   2. Why decentralised learning?
   3. Free Bettercare Online Learning Platform
   4. Learning programmes
   5. Format of the courses
   6. Contributors
   7. Updating the course material
   8. Contact information
   9. Registration
3. 1 Introduction to maternal mental health
   1. Objectives
   2. Introduction to maternal mental health
   3. Risk factors linked to poor maternal mental health
   4. Types of maternal mental illness
   5. Chapter summary
   6. Case studies
4. 2 Identifying maternal mental illness
   1. Objectives
   2. Challenges in identifying maternal mental illness
   3. Screening for common maternal mental disorders (depression and anxiety)
   4. Chapter summary
   5. Case studies
5. 3 Making referrals for maternal mental illness
   1. Objectives
   2. Referrals
   3. Counselling
   4. Non-attendance
   5. Doulas
   6. Chapter summary
   7. Case studies
6. 4 How to help mothers with mental distress
   1. Objectives
   2. Why pregnancy and childbirth are stressful periods
   3. Disrespect and abuse in the maternity setting
   4. Well-being of care providers
   5. Engaging empathically with mothers
   6. Chapter summary
   7. Case studies
   8. Activities
7. 5 Special medical issues in maternal mental health
   1. Objectives
   2. HIV and mental illness
   3. Alcohol and drug misuse
   4. The risk of suicide
   5. Postnatal psychosis
   6. Perinatal loss and mental health
   7. Chapter summary
   8. Case studies
8. 6 Special social issues in maternal mental health
   1. Objectives
   2. Poverty and mental illness
   3. Teenage pregnancy and mental illness
   4. Unintended pregnancy and termination of pregnancy
   5. Refugees, migrants and mental illness
   6. Maternal abuse
   7. Child abuse
   8. Chapter summary
   9. Case studies
9. 7 Infant mental health
   1. Objectives
   2. Introduction to infant mental health
   3. Negative effects of stress on infant mental health
   4. Identifying poor mental well-being in infants
   5. Infant social withdrawal
   6. Attachment problems
   7. Interventions for improving mother-infant interactions
   8. Chapter summary
   9. Case studies
10. Resources
    1. 1 Screening tools for common mental disorders
    2. 2 Making referrals
    3. 3 Useful contact numbers for care providers in South Africa
    4. 4 Resources for pregnant women and new mothers
    5. 5 Information about termination of pregnancy
    6. 6 Information on adoption services
    7. 7 Maintenance Orders
    8. 8 Child Support Grants
    9. 9 Protection orders
    10. 10 South African national helplines
    11. 11 South African organisations for training in counselling
    12. 12 Additional information on infant mental health