BSc Psychology

The course unit will provide an intensive focus on contemporary intervention approaches and frameworks to support and promote individual mental health. Lecturers will explain various intervention approaches and innovations for common adult mental health issues. Cognitive behavioural, metacognitive, compassion-based and expressive arts therapeutic approaches will be covered, as well as digital interventions.  

Learning will be delivered through a blend of in-person lectures, curated online content and interactive workshops. Core coverage will include underlying theory and key concepts, therapeutic techniques, recent innovations and critical evaluation of the scientific evidence. Workshop participation will deepen understanding of how psychological and other techniques apply across diverse contexts (e.g. clinical, community-based, cultural, digital apps) and mental health conditions (e.g. depression, anxiety, psychosis and trauma), including issues that are relevant across conditions. Experiential exercises and case studies will bring these strategies to life. Assignment support seminars will offer structured step-by-step guidance, including worked examples. Students will be expected to engage with the material in a sensitive and professional manner and to apply their growing knowledge and understanding.

Building on core concepts introduced in Year 1 (Foundations in Mental Health and Distress), this unit extends understanding of psychotherapeutic interventions, their evidence base, and their delivery. It emphasizes contemporary and technology-enabled approaches designed to broaden access to mental health support. Through lectures, seminars, workshops, and self-directed study, students will be well prepared for Year 3 units in Clinical Psychology, Lifestyle Behaviour Change and independent project work. 

The unit aims to:

• provide a foundational understanding of a range of contemporary intervention approaches to support mental health and insights into psychological techniques
• develop students’ confidence to apply theoretical knowledge to intervention design and practice, encouraging innovative ways to address the mental health challenges in contemporary society
• develop the interpersonal skills to communicate effectively about mental health concepts, techniques and processes in a professional, ethical and sensitive manner
• equip students with a basic understanding of the relationships between theory, research and practice for improving mental health, and the process through which interventions become evidence based  
• equip students with foundational skills in intervention development, understanding that the effectiveness of strategies can depend on individual mental health need and context
• foster ethically minded and socially responsible thinkers by enhancing understanding of ethical and social considerations in relation to mental health practice and research

• 6 hours of in-person weekly lectures – 6 x 50-minute sessions  
• 6 hours of directed e-learning provision: 6 x 1-hour asynchronous mixed media core content to support the in-person content
• 9 hours of in-person workshops – 5 x 80-minute interactive workshops designed to enhance understanding of intervention approaches in practice in a range of contexts
• 5 hours of assessment support –1 x 80-minute workshop (included in 9h total above), 4 x 1-hour seminars and a 1-hour optional Q&A drop-in
• Additional e-learning provision: PowerPoint presentation slides, lecture podcasts, reading lists detailing key papers, recommended supplementary reading, links to relevant online resources, and a monitored discussion board 

• Understand theoretical approaches and apply multiple perspectives and to supporting mental health and wellbeing, recognising diversity and variability in effectiveness and experience.
• Demonstrate specialised knowledge in mental health intervention science, some of which is at the cutting edge, as they apply to different contexts and settings.
• Understand the current evidence base supporting different intervention approaches, based on a range of research methods, and be familiar with current debates and conceptual issues in mental health practice and clinical guidelines 

• Systematically analyse and apply different intervention approaches and contexts to solve a range of theoretical and real-world issues related to enhancing mental health and wellbeing.
• Apply scientific reasoning and evidence-based analysis to evaluate theories, research and arguments related to mental health interventions.
• Ethically apply psychological knowledge, valuing participatory research and the perspectives of those with lived experience to inform intervention developments.
• Appreciate the conceptual roots of different intervention approaches to mental health. 

• Apply analytical reasoning and critical evaluation skills to research using quantitative and qualitative methodologies in order to assess the effectiveness, implementation, and contextual relevance of mental health interventions across diverse populations.
• Engage with and reflect on the learning content with empathy, ethical reasoning, self-awareness, perspective-taking, and critical thinking.  
• Drawing on relevant theory and practice, design and communicate an intervention plan, recognising the practical and ethical issues with implementation 

• Engage collaboratively with others on interactive tasks about psychological techniques, using sensitive and inclusive language and an ethical stance and valuing a variety of perspectives.
• Independently gather and select the most relevant information from a body of work using a range of sources and tools responsibly (library, online searches, electronic databases, artificial intelligence).
• Apply forward-thinking, scientific and flexible approaches and solutions to mental health and mental wellbeing in work settings and in everyday life.
• Communicate topics effectively and sensitively through written, oral, and visual means. 

Students will receive a grade with written feedback 20 working days after the final submission deadline

Each session will be supported with provided core reading and recommended reading.