A TRAINERS PERSPECTIVE OF AN INNOVATIVE PROGRAM TEACHING HEALTH VISITORS ABOUT THE DETECTION, TREATMENT AND PREVENTION OF POSTNATAL DEPRESSION

Health visitors in North Staffordshire, Edinburgh and Lewisham were gi ven the opportunity to participate in a training programme in the dete ction, treatment and prevention of postnatal depression, based on prev iously reported successful intervention strategies. They were trained in the use of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), and giv en information about the value and practice of non-directive counselli ng and about preventative strategies. Knowledge acquisition was evalua tion by self-report questionnaires given before and after training. Th e health visitors were encouraged to screen postnatal women at three s pecified times using the EPDS and to offer non-directive counselling t o women who obtained high scores. A baseline measure of the incidence of postnatal depression was obtained by asking health visitors to give an EPDS form to all women in their caseload with a 6-month-old baby b efore training commenced. A comparison of the number of women with hig h EPDS scores at 6 months postnatally, before and after training, show ed that participation in the programme enabled health visitors to posi tively influence the emotional well-being of postnatal women. These re sults have implications for the role of health visitors which is curre ntly being challenged, as well as for components of their training and continuing professional development.