The Stress and Depression Toolkit modules are designed to enhance users’ knowledge of mental health surrounding pregnancy. There are links to internet resources throughout the Modules to help you learn the content. There are questions and scenarios in each Module which will help you use the information you are learning. At the end of each of the Modules, you will be able to quiz yourselves on what you have learned.

Module 1: Stress
Part 1 – What is Stress?
Part 2 – The Context of Stress: Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and Class (Income)
Part 3 – Stress and the Body

Module 2: Stress, Emotions, and Depression
Part 1 – Stress and Emotional Responses
Part 2 – Depression
Part 3 – Stress, Anxiety, and Depression During Pregnancy
Part 4 – Paternal Stress and Depression

Module 3: Intervention
Part 1 – Mental Health Care
Part 2 – Self Care
Part 3 – Social Support

Learning Objectives:

By the end of Module 1 (Part 1-3), you should be able to:

1. Identify stress and the types of stress that people experience.
2. Educate your clients on how stress negatively impacts physical and mental health outcomes leading to chronic illnesses and poor birth outcomes.
3. Understand the contexts of stress as they inform the experiences that individuals identify as stressful and how they react to them.

By the end of Module 2 (Part 1-4), you should be able to:

1. Understand how stress leads to emotional responses including anxiety.
2. Recognize the different forms of depression.
3. Understand how stress affects pregnancy and the postpartum period.
4. Identify paternal stress and depression.

By the end of Module 3 (Parts 1-3), you will gain an understanding of:

1. The importance of mental health care.
2. The importance of self care: exercise, nutrition, meditation, and sleep for reducing stress.
3. The role of social support.

Source:
National Healthy Start Association

Topics:
Depression
Father/Partner Involvement
Mental Health

Benchmarks:
N/A