Perinatal Psychology

Course leader: Natalya Mosol

Home Institution: Zaporizhzhia National University

Course Overview

Perinatal psychology is theory and practice relating to person’s earliest development, including conception (and even pre-conception period), birth experience and early postnatal period. Prenatal and early natal stages determine our biology and psychology make up to a great extent.

This program is devoted to the study of the following topics: perinatal psychology as a new interdisciplinary science, area of ​​study, different meaning of the definition of "perinatal psychology". Branches of psychology dealing with perinatal psychology and parenting psychology: general psychology and personality psychology, developmental psychology, clinical psychology, educational psychology. The current state of psychological research and practice in the field of perinatal psychology. The main directions of perinatal psychological practice.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course students should be able:

  • to have knowledge about the mental development of the child in the prenatal, perinatal and early postnatal period of development;
  • summarize knowledge on psychological approaches to the study of parenting and its connection with the development of the child, the basic principles of the formation of parenting;
  • know the stages of formation of the family system, styles of family interaction, methods of diagnosing family processes;
  • to have knowledge on the psychology of conception, pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period (the norm and disorders);
  • to get acquainted with the methods of perinatal psychological care.

Course Content

Section 1. Theoretical and methodological foundations of perinatal psychology.

Topic 1. Fundamentals of perinatal psychology.

Perinatal psychology as a new field of research and practice. Subject and tasks of perinatal psychology. Applied aspects of perinatal care.

Topic 2. Psychology of conception, pregnancy and childbirth.

Stages of formation of the family system, styles of family interaction. The content and patterns of parenting formation. Methods of diagnostics of family processes. Psychological tasks of preparation for the birth of a child.

Topic 3. Features of perinatal development of the child

Influence of early ontogenesis on personality development. Driving forces, mechanisms and conditions of development of the child's psyche in the perinatal period.. Prenatal "I". Fundamentals of contact between mother and child: norm, disorders and ways of correction. Birth experience. Society and the child before birth.

Section 2. Applied aspects of perinatal psychology.

Topic 4. The system of perinatal care in European countries.

Topic 5. Basics of perinatal care

Conscious parenting: ways of formation. Prenatal development and education. Diagnostic work with pregnant women and families. Features of psychological counseling of pregnant women at the stage of reproductive choice.

Topic 6. Psychological support of a family with a child.

Theory of attachment. Educational work with parents.

Instructional Method

Lectures, seminars, interactive methods (discussions, role-plying, case-study), group work, individual projects.

Required Course Materials

Readings – course materials (online) + reading (recommended).

There are NO required readings for this course. All the information would be summarized within the lectures. However, in order to get deeper view, the additional recourses and links are available.

  • Chamberlain (1998). The Mind of Your Newborn Baby. North Atlantic Books.
  • Grof S. (1985) Beyond the Brain: Birth, Death and Transcendence in Psychotherapy. State University of New York Press.
  • Guba N, Mosol N., Syusyuka V.(2019) Promoting Prenatal Health And Positive Birth Outcomes: Perinatal Psychological Support. Problem space of modern society: philosophical-communicative and pedagogical interpretations: collective monograph. Part IІ. Warsaw: BMT Erida Sp. z o.o, 2019, 166-180.
  • Odent M.(2013). Childbirth and the Future of Homo sapiens. Pinter & Martin. London.
  • Verny Thomas R. (1981).The Secret Life of the Unborn Child, (with Kelly). Summit Books, USA and Collins, Canada.
  • Ward S. (2014). Fractals from the womb: A journey through pre and perinatal psychotherapy. Create Space Independent Publishing Platform
  • The British Psychological Society https://www.bps.org.uk/
  • The International Society for Pre-and Perinatal Psychology and Medicine. URL: https://isppm.de/

Assessment

Assessment of the quality of mastering the program includes: a) current monitoring of progress (by topics) in the form of a quiz; b) the final control of progress in the form of an individual project.

The means of evaluation to be used in the course:

The course includes several short quizzes to reinforce the material covered that topic. All the quizzes combined account for 50% of the final grade. The quizzes involve a set of questions designed to test the material learned during the lecture.

The Peer Review Assignment (individual project) accounts for the other 50% of the final grade. The peer review assignment is designed to apply the material learned in the class in practice.

The student must pass every graded assessment to pass the course, regardless of the final grade.