COURSE STRUCTURE AND CONTENT

There are 10 lessons in this course:

Lesson 1 Nature and Scope of Mental Health 

This lesson looks at the difference between adult and child mental health, what we mean by mental health and mental well-being. It also considers normal childhood development, child mental illness, the prevalence of mental health issues in children and adolescents, the mental health industry. looking at difference between adult and child and adolescent mental health. What we mean by mental health? Mental wellness etc.

Lesson 2 Childhood Depression

This lesson looks at the different types of depression in children, how it is diagnosed, the causes of childhood depression, assessing the risk of suicide.

Lesson 3 Anxiety Disorders

Covering topics such as separation disorders, generalised anxiety, school phobias, social phobias, the signs, symptoms and treatment of anxiety disorders, anxiety disorders in adolescence.

Lesson 4 Tic Disorders

The topics covered in this lesson include an introduction to tic disorders, different types of tics, Gilles De La Tourette Syndrome (Tourette's Syndrome), Transient Tic Disorder, Chronic Tic Disorder and Tic Disorder (NOS).

Lesson 5 Brain Disorders (Injury & Disease)

This lesson introduces brain disorders and considers the differences between adults and children with this sort of condition, traumatic brain injury, congenital malformations, genetic disorders, tumours, infectious diseases, cerebrovascular disease, epilepsy and the impact of environmental toxins on brain disorders.

Lesson 6 Other Disorders

Covering topics such as Motor Disorders, Elimination Disorders - Encopresis, Enuresis, Feeding & Eating Disorders; Reactive Attachment Disorder, Selective Mutism and Stereotypic Movement Disorder.

Lesson 7 The Impact of Environmental Problems on Child and Adolescent Mental Health

Covering Abuse and Neglect, the Effects of Abuse, relationship problems, Factitious Disorders by Proxy, Attachment Disorders and Lifestyle.

Lesson 8 Problems of Adolescence

Including Anorexia, Bulimia, Substance Use, Family Conflict.

Lesson 9 Holistic and Alternative Approaches to Treatment

Such as Drug Treatments, food and mental health, Alternative Therapies such as homeopathy, art therapy, music therapy, counselling/psychotherapy, craniosacral/biodynamic osteopathy, kinesiology, aromatherapy, sensory integration, behavioural optometry, hearing and mental health, movement therapies.

Lesson 10 Special Project

You choose something of interest to you in relation to child and adolescent mental health and carry out a project on this, guided by your tutor.

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

 During the course, you will learn more about the symptoms of mental health issues. For example -

The presence of an isolated symptom is not usually considered evidence of a mental health disorder because many healthy people can experience s single symptom occasionally. For example, it is possible to have a hallucination if you are stressed or have not slept well. Sometimes symptoms can be associated with taking medication or they may appear in response to a physical illness. One exception is where a person has a persistent single obsessive thought which may indicate a paranoid disorder. 

Symptoms of mental health disorders are classified in different ways. Some of the more usual distinctions include form and content, and primary and secondary symptoms.  

Form
This refers to the form a symptom takes. Some examples are auditory hallucination, visual hallucination, delusion of persecution and delusion of grandeur.  

Content
This is what is involved in the symptom. For example, a delusion of persecution could involve an individual holding the faulty belief that they are being cheated or conspired against. Someone hearing voices telling them that they are being cheated or persecuted in some way would have the same content, but the form of the symptom would be different i.e. an auditory hallucination.    

Primary
Usually this refers to which symptoms appear first i.e. it is used in a temporal way. Sometimes it is used to refer to symptoms which appeared directly because of the psychopathology. 

Secondary
This usually refers to symptoms which arise after primary symptoms but again can occasionally refer to those which appear in response to another. For example, an individual might begin with delusional thoughts of persecution and then go on to develop auditory hallucinations telling them that persecutors are after them.

What Are the Advantages of Studying Psychology with ACS Distance Education?

• You can start at any time to suit you.
• The courses are self-paced.
• You can study when and where suits you. They are flexible to fit in around you and your lifestyle.
• It is not just a course, it is a package of learning that includes – course notes, tutor feedback, self-assessment tests, research tasks and assignments.
• Our tutors are all experts in their field, with years of experience in psychology and counselling.
• They are also keen and enthusiastic about their subject and enjoy working with students to improve their knowledge and skills.
• Courses are also updated regularly to meet the demands of the changing needs for knowledge and to keep our courses up to date.

What Next?

By studying this course you will:

• Develop your knowledge of child and adolescent mental health issues.
• Be better placed to help children through difficult periods in their lives.
• Be able to provide more effective support to children.
• Enhance your employment prospects and career choices for working with children and adolescents. 

You can enrol today by clicking the “Enrol Now” button above.

Or

Click here to Contact a Psychology Tutor.

Or Request a Prospectus Here.