This module will introduce students to the field of positive psychology and will outline the principal causes, diagnosis and treatment options for mental health disorders. A specific emphasis will be placed on the factors that impact mental health in social care settings and the steps that social care practitioners can take to help service users to maintain positive mental health and reach their maximum potential.
Brief Historical Perspective
This section will provide a brief outline of how our knowledge of and attitude towards mental illness/disorder has evolved over the past century and present current paradigms of mental health. Students will also be introduced to the principal policy and legislative frameworks that pertain to mental health practise in Ireland with specific emphasis on guidelines and legislation pertaining to informed consent for those with diminished capacity.
Classification and Assessment.
This section will briefly explore the basic issues involved in classification and assessment of abnormal behaviour and mental health familiarise the student with the DSM V, the classification system most frequently employed in clinical psychology.
Causes and Treatments of Mental Illness.
This section will look at the range and variety of psychological disorders with a specific focus on anxiety and mental health. In the case of specific disorders, incidence, prevalence and, possible causes will be explored.
Intervention and Treatment.
This section involves a brief look at the treatment of various types of mental health disorders and their effectiveness. In the case of specific disorders, the impact and benefit of intervention at different stages of the disorder will be considered. The necessity of upholding the rights, dignity and autonmy of service users throughout the therapeutic process will be emphasised.
The Role of the Social Care Practitioner in Mental Health Practise.
This section explores the role of the social care practitioner in multidisciplinary mental health teams. The contributions and limitations that pertain to social care practise in the field of mental health will be discussed. The importance of compliance with relevant policies and regulations will be emphasised.
Application to Social Care.
This section will outline the mental health issues that are associated with specific aspects of social care such as residential care, intellectual disability and youth, community and family support. In each instance, students will be enabled to apply their knowledge of mental health and abnormal psychology to meet the needs of the service user.
| Module Content & Assessment | |
|---|---|
| Assessment Breakdown | % |
| Formal Examination | 60 |
| Other Assessment(s) | 40 |