Mental Health in Context
Year 2 - Term 4
10 Credits at HE Level M
15 taught hours
Module Aims
- Demonstrate a working knowledge of mental health issues and the implications for counselling practice, along with an ability to make accurate risks assessments and ethical decisions to ensure the best care for, and safety of, clients.
By the end of this module, typical students should be able to:
- Critically appraise conceptualisations of the nature of severe psychological distress.
- Recognise the signs and symptoms associated with all forms and severity of mental distress .
- Recognise the inter- relatedness of social and psychological factors.
- Openly discuss sexual matters when appropriate with clients whatever the clients sexual orientation or the nature of the clients problem.
- Make informed decisions about referral and the compatibility of counselling and psychopharmacological interventions.
- Appraise the range of organisations and services available to clients suffering from mental health problems and their individual differences.
- Recognise ways in which counselling can make a contribution to inter-disciplinary teams and other professionals in order to maximise therapeutic outcomes as appropriate.
Summary of Content
- The mental health system.
- Characteristics of common mental health problems.
- Risk assessment and suicide.
- Psychiatric diagnosis and its relationship with, race, gender and class.
- Therapeutic strategies for working with clients with sexual problems.
Assessment
- Class room based assignment using video vignettes of actors presenting with common presenting psychological problems and answered via a written paper/ or via ‘Blackboard’ set test.
