PY0662 - Mental Health Difficulties and Therapeutic Approaches

You will learn through lectures and independent learning. The series of lectures will cover key concepts relating to why evidence synthesis is valuable, how to synthesize evidence (e.g., using techniques such as meta-analysis), and will then consider a series of mental health problems (e.g., depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and psychosis) in detail, by covering their symptoms, the evidence base relating to what factors may cause these mental health problems to develop, and the evidence base relating to which interventions are effective treatments. The lectures will incorporate a variety of media/teaching methods and activities (e.g., video material, interactive tasks and polls) to support your learning. You will be expected to engage in tutor guided independent learning by completing formative work that will be provide by the teaching staff and by reading research articles to support lecture material. You will be also encouraged to source your own evidence to add to your understanding.

Module tutors will support you academically by providing a well-resourced module site on the eLearning Portal (Blackboard) which will include lecture materials, reading lists, formative work, and an academic discussion board where you can pose content and assessment questions to fellow students and module tutors for discussion. Use of the discussion board ensures that the whole group can benefit from the discussions that take place. You can also book a one-to-one or small group tutorial with a module tutor for extra support and clarification on module content. Module tutors will also offer support via email. The module e-learning site will display office hours for contacting module tutors.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. Online reading lists (provided after enrolment) give you access to your reading material for your modules. The Library works in partnership with your module tutors to ensure you have access to the material that you need.

Knowledge & Understanding:
MK1: You will be expected to demonstrate your understanding of evidence synthesis methods (e.g., meta-analysis).
MK2: You will be expected to demonstrate critical understanding of the various aetiologies, therapies, and treatments of a range of psychological conditions through the evaluation of theory, empirical research, key debates, and how these can be applied in the real world.

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
MIP1: You will develop your employability skills and graduate attributes through the sourcing of a variety of information, analysing and evaluating those information sources, evaluating different theoretical perspectives and working independently.

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
MPV1: You will develop your ability to think independently, to understand and justify your own opinions, to recognise the need to challenge your own thinking, and the thinking of others.

Formative assessment:
Case study-based tasks will be provided to foster an understanding of applications to the real world (MK1; MK2; MIP1; MPV1).
Mock examination questions will be provided (MK1; MK2; MIP1; MV1).
Written tutor feedback will be provided (in the form of ‘model’ answers).

Summative assessment:
The final assessment will be a three-hour exam. The exam will assess your understanding of evidence synthesis, plus the aetiologies and treatments of psychological disorders (MK1; MK2; MIP1; MPV1)

Feedback
Written feedback will be given on exam scripts. All feedback will provide a justification of the mark and an indication of how the current work and future assessments in general could be improved. General feedback will also be provided via the eLearning Portal.

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On this module you will develop a critical understanding of (a) how we synthesize evidence in clinical psychology/psychiatry, and (b) the evidence base researchers have generated about (i) what factors cause mental health problems and (ii) which current interventions are effective treatments for mental health problems. You will learn about these topics with reference to several different mental health problems (for example, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and psychosis). You will learn through lectures and independent learning. The assessment will be an exam which will assess your understanding of evidence synthesis techniques (e.g., meta-analysis) used in clinical psychology and your understanding of the evidence base relating to which factors cause mental health problems and to which current interventions are effective treatments for mental health problems.