PY0575 - Conceptual Issues in Mental Health

On this module you will learn through a mixture of lectures and independent learning. The series of lectures will cover the key topics of the module, deepening your understanding of what mental health problems are, and the conceptual issues surrounding them. The lectures will incorporate a variety of teaching methods and interactive methods (e.g., videos, quizzes, discussions) 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. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)

Knowledge & Understanding:
MK1: You will be expected to demonstrate your understanding of key conceptual issues in mental health research and practice.
MK2: You will be expected to critically evaluate mental health research and understand its strengths and limitations.

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
MIP1: - Communicate complex conceptual issues effectively in a written format.
MIP2: You will take charge of your career
development learning through critical self-evaluation and
reflection on the relevance of the module for career enhancement and future learning

Personal Values Attributes:
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:
Formative work that supports student learning will be provided. Model/correct answers will be provided so that students can check their learning (MK1, MK2, MIP1, MIP2, MPV1). Mock/past exam papers will be provided. Model/correct answers will be provided so that students can check their learning.

Summative assessment:
The first assignment in this module will be an in-person handwritten exam. This will assess your understanding of conceptual issues in mental health, and your ability to communicate them in a clear and critical manner (MK1, MK2, MIP1, MPV1).

The second assessment is a self-reflective account in
which you will be asked to consider how this module has impacted your employability and future career
(MIP2). This will be worth 10% of the module mark.

Feedback:
Feedback for formative work will be provided via model/correct answers. Written feedback will be provided for the summative assessment. 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.

You will be required to arrange a tutorial with your personal guidance tutor for formal feedback on your second assignment (self-reflection).

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This module will provide an exploration of key concepts and perspectives in mental health research and practice. You will gain a deeper understanding of how we think about mental health, exploring issues such as how we differentiate psychiatry and neurology, what psychiatric diagnoses are and how they correspond to the real world, and what it means to ‘explain’ a mental health problem. We’ll cover conceptual issues in the philosophy of psychiatry, as well as empirical research evidence regarding differing perspectives on mental health. You will learn through a combination of lectures and independent learning. The assessment will be an in-person handwritten exam in which you will demonstrate knowledge and conceptual understanding of key issues in clinical psychology and psychiatry. The module will prepare students considering potential third year project work in mental health-related areas, and will also be useful for those considering a career in clinical psychology for understanding important conceptual issues in the field.