Develop the skills to recognise, support and treat perinatal mental health challenges, making a meaningful difference for families across Aotearoa.
Why study postgraduate Perinatal Mental Health?
If you want to contribute to healthier families and communities at a deeply meaningful time, this subject offers purpose and real-world relevance. Studying Perinatal Mental Health helps you understand the unique mental health challenges and opportunities around pregnancy, birth and early parenthood. Postgraduate study gives you tools to recognise, support and treat conditions like perinatal depression, anxiety or stress. You’ll learn how to support whole families, not just individuals. With increasing awareness of the importance of mental well-being in mothers and babies, your expertise can help shape better outcomes for generations.
Career opportunities
With postgraduate study in Perinatal Mental Health, you can take your existing health-sector experience into new spaces. Many graduates go on to:
- Work as a specialist mental health clinician supporting perinatal clients
- Provide support in maternal health services or community health settings
- Work in perinatal or postnatal support programmes (including public health, community outreach or non-governmental organisations)
- Support whānau through counselling, therapy or case-management roles
- Move into leadership, advocacy or policy roles focused on perinatal and maternal mental health
What it’s like to study at this level
At Otago, Perinatal Mental Health is distance-taught by the Department of Psychological Medicine, based at our Christchurch campus. You’ll learn through a mix of online study and on-campus block courses, so you can continue working while you study.
Your teachers are clinicians and researchers who are actively working in mental health, and bring up-to-date, evidence-based knowledge to clinical practice.
Through this supportive, flexible learning structure you’ll build expertise that directly applies to your everyday professional practice.
This is for you if ...
Our postgraduate Perinatal Mental Health papers are for qualified health professionals with at least two years’ postgraduate clinical practice. You’ll be especially suited to this field of study if you have experience in mental health, obstetric or paediatric settings.
Strong communication skills, empathy and an interest in maternal, family or community wellbeing will help you thrive.
Trusted expertise for your professional development
The Department of Psychological Medicine at is one of New Zealand’s largest and most influential centres for mental health research and teaching. Our staff include psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses and social workers who combine academic rigour with clinical experience. We bring internationally recognised research strengths in mood disorders, addictions and trauma into our teaching. Learning is grounded in the latest evidence and real clinical insight.
Our programme is flexible, designed for working health professionals. Study part-time via online learning, with occasional on-campus blocks in Christchurch. Through Otago you join a supportive network of health practitioners and researchers, ready to make a difference in perinatal and mental health care across Aotearoa.
Choose a study option
Whether you are advancing your career with our specialised graduate qualifications or pursuing in-depth research and expertise through our postgraduate programmes, Otago is here to support your aspirations.
Postgraduate qualifications
Honours, masters’, PhDs, and other advanced degrees for graduates. Just one additional year of study will earn you a valuable postgraduate degree. Or perhaps you want the depth of a full year of research-only time during a master’s or to step up to a PhD.
Ready to apply?
Take your expertise to the next level with advanced study.
Programme details
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| The Postgraduate Certificate in Health Sciences (PGCertHealSc) endorsed in Perinatal Mental Health is available through Distance Learning. |
Papers
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Contacts
Department of Psychological Medicine
University of Otago, Christchurch
Tel 64 3 372 6700
Fax 64 3 372 0407
Email psychmed.uoc@otago.ac.nz
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