Perinatal mental health for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women – Using the Kimberley Mum’s Mood Scale (KMMS)

Learning objectives

By the end of this module, participants will be able to:

• Understand the unique context of Aboriginal perinatal mental health.
• Understand approaches to screening that are acceptable for Aboriginal women.
• Use the KMMS to perform a routine psychosocial assessment for Aboriginal women during pregnancy and in the first year post birth.
• Understand pathways for follow-up and referral for women at risk of perinatal mental health conditions.
• Describe psychosocial supports that may be useful for clients with risk factors and/or mild symptoms of a perinatal mental health condition.

The information in this module is based on the most recently released guideline Mental Health Care in the Perinatal Period, Australian Clinical Practice Guideline, October 2017, the Centre for Perinatal Excellences and as approved by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia. This training recognises the unique history of Torres Strait Islander women and notes that some Torres Strait Islander women have been involved in the development and the validation of Kimberley Mum’s Mood Scale.