BSc Psychology

Year of entry: 2024

Course unit details:
Interventions to Improve Mental Health and Wellbeing

Course unit fact file
Unit code PSYC21032
Credit rating 10
Unit level Level 2
Teaching period(s) Semester 2
Offered by Division of Psychology and Mental Health
Available as a free choice unit? No

Overview

The course unit will cover the scientific approaches applied within the field of adaptability and well-being. Advances in theory and research, as well as the most relevant and effective interventions will be introduced, explained and compared. Expert clinicians and researchers will describe and explain the psychological treatments of specific presenting problems: anxiety, depression, somatisation, consequences of trauma, psychosis, bipolar disorder, and chronic interpersonal problems. An overview of how treatments are delivered to service users and contemporary approaches such as transdiagnostic approaches, metacognitive therapy, control theory and method of levels therapy. There will be opportunities within the lectures to observe interventions in action and to gain first-hand experience from expert clinicians of applying them to everyday problems. Students will also be encouraged to explore the implications of diversity and difference for service provision and delivery.

 

Aims

The unit aims to:

1)     Introduce the theory, research and practice of the most recent advances in improving mental health and wellbeing

2)     Build awareness and understanding of the key interventions for improving mental health and well-being and their scientific bases

3)     Equip students with a basic understanding of the importance of the relationships between theory, research, policy and practice for improving mental health and well-being

4)     Emphasise and expand on the wider contextual and service issues in development and delivery of interventions for mental health and wellbeing

5)        Highlight implications of considering diversity and difference for developing and delivering interventions

 

Teaching and learning methods

This unit will be taught via lectures and laboratory classes.

E-learning provision: Key papers, supplementary reading, links to relevant online resources, and a monitored discussion board will be provided via Blackboard.

 

Knowledge and understanding

  • Understand the key theoretical approaches to developing interventions for mental health and well-being.
  • Understand how clinical principles and techniques are applied to specific problems within community, health and mental health settings
  • Understand the current limitations and future directions of psychological interventions within health and mental health service settings.

Intellectual skills

  • Understand the relationship between theory, evidence, policy and practice in the development, delivery and evaluation of psychological interventions
  • Develop their skill in critical thinking and ability to critique a range of theories and methodologies utilised for researching mental health and well-being
  • Plan and construct written arguments based on appropriate empirical evidence

Practical skills

  • Understand key skills involved in the development and delivery of psychological research and interventions
  • With guidance, utilise research on a topic in mental health and wellbeing, e.g. communicating qualitative research findings to a lay audience in a poster format
  • Structure research results in clear and coherent report formats, presenting concise and persuasive arguments

Transferable skills and personal qualities

  • Apply a forward-thinking, scientific and flexible approaches to mental health and wellbeing interventions that can be applied in work settings and everyday life
  • Independently gather and select the most relevant information from a body of work using a range of sources (library, internet, electronic databases) to gather information
  • Produce a written summary of research for an educated audience
  • Work effectively in teams 

Assessment methods

Course work - 50%

Exam - 50%

Feedback methods

Students will receive a grade and written feedback for the course work and a grade for the exam

Study hours

Independent study hours
Independent study 70

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
Dawn Edge Unit coordinator

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