Postgraduate Course: Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Wellbeing (EDUA11426)
Course Outline
School | Moray House School of Education and Sport |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
Summary | The course provides an opportunity to develop knowledge and understanding of child and adolescent mental health and wellbeing. Drawing on psychological, developmental and clinical theories, this course will introduce students to child and adolescent mental health and wellbeing and the factors associated with the development and maintenance of clinical symptoms and wellbeing outcomes. The course will explore developmental processes, emotion and emotion regulation, physical health, cognition, and neurodiversity in relation to mental health and wellbeing. Furthermore, attachment, trauma and adverse experiences, social contexts, culture in relation to children and young people's mental health and wellbeing will be explored. The course draws on relevant theory, policies and evidence-based frameworks to allow critical engagement with inter-disciplinary and cross-cultural research to develop an awareness of the many factors affecting the wellbeing of children and young people. |
Course description |
This course will begin by exploring the similarities and differences between 'mental health' and 'wellbeing' and what it means to be 'mentally healthy'. The course will introduce students to a range of psychological and clinical perspectives and theories on child and adolescent mental health, and their application to understanding risk and resilience, to mental health promotion and interventions to support mental health and wellbeing. This course does not assume prior knowledge of the theoretical/research literature around children and young people's mental health and wellbeing.
As the course develops, students will develop a critical awareness and understanding of many factors that impact the mental health and wellbeing of children and adolescents. There will be a particular focus on developmental processes, emotion and emotion regulation, physical health, cognition, and neurodiversity in relation to mental health and wellbeing. Attachment, trauma and adverse experiences, social contexts, culture in relation to children and young people's mental health and wellbeing will be explored.
The course will draw on relevant theory, policies and evidence-based frameworks to allow critical engagement with inter-disciplinary and cross-cultural research to develop an awareness of the many factors affecting the wellbeing of children and young people. Issues around mental health terminology and other methodological and ethical issues surrounding research in this field will also be considered. Students will be supported to think critically about the application of theories of mental health and wellbeing, with a particular focus on understanding the support and promotion of mental health and wellbeing of children and young people in context (e.g.in home, school and community contexts).
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisites | None |
High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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Academic year 2023/24, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 0 |
Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 10,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 10,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
176 )
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Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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Additional Information (Assessment) |
Assessment 1: Group presentation (20%)
Students will conduct a small group presentation. The presentations will be linked specifically to the taught topics in the course.
Assessment 2: 3,000 word written essay (80%)
Students will write a 3000 word essay. The essay will be linked specifically to the taught course topics and there will be a choice of essay questions. |
Feedback |
Summative Assessment:
Written feedback will be provided for summative assessments.
Formative Assessment:
Throughout the course each week in workshops students will have the opportunity to work on tasks and across the course will receive peer/tutor formative feedback on their developing understanding of the topics. There will also be an opportunity for staff and peer feedback on essay plans.
Seminars and practical workshops will afford students the opportunity to receive regular verbal feedback on any questions and ideas arising from tasks, discussions and reading undertaken. |
No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Critically consider theoretical frameworks of relevance to research in the field of child and adolescent mental health and wellbeing.
- Articulate, as appropriate, an understanding of methodological approaches and ethical issues of mental health research with children and adolescents.
- Reflect thoughtfully on factors that impact children and adolescents' mental health and wellbeing.
- Demonstrate a critical understanding of the implications of mental health and wellbeing research for policy and/or practice.
- Demonstrate the ability to synthesise complex and competing information, and present that information coherently in relation to child and adolescent mental health and wellbeing.
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Reading List
A list of specific chapters and journal articles ('essential reading') to be read for each class will be provided to students at the beginning of the course. The books and journals listed here are generally relevant for this course. There is no expectation that students read all of these.
General mental health and wellbeing:
Cromby, J. Harper, D., & Reavey, P. (2013). Psychology, Mental Health and Distress. New York, NY, US: Palgrave Macmillan.
Erskine, H. E., Baxter, A. J., Patton, G., , Moffitt, T. E., Patel, V., Whiteford,H. A., & Scott, J. G. (2017). The global coverage of prevalence data for mental disorders in children and adolescents. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 26(4): 395-402.
Mathews, F., Newlove-Delgado, T., & Finning, K., Boyle, C., Hayes, R., Johnston, P., & Ford, T. (2020). Teachers' concerns about pupil's mental health in a cross-sectional survey of a population sample of British school children. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 1-7.
Fazel, M., Hoagwood, K., Stephan, S., & Ford T. (2014). Mental health interventions in schools in high-income countries. Lancet Psychiatry, 1: 377-387.
Fazel, M., Patel, V., & Tol, W. (2014). Mental health interventions in schools in low-income and middle-income countries. Lancet Psychiatry, 1: 388-398.
Sellars, E., Pavarini, G., Michelson, D., Creswell, C., Fazel, M. (2020). Young people's advisory groups in health research: scoping review and mapping of practices. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 0, 107. |
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills |
A. Research and Enquiry
Search for, evaluate and use information from a range of sources, to develop their knowledge and understanding
Recognise the need to challenge knowledge
Recognise the importance of reflecting on their learning experiences and level of understanding
Apply critical analysis, evaluation and synthesis to pertinent issues in research
B. Personal and Intellectual Autonomy
Be open to new ideas, methods and ways of thinking
Be creative and imaginative thinkers
Be independent learners who take responsibility for their own learning, and are committed to continuous reflection and self-development
Be able to use collaboration and debate effectively to test and develop their own views
Be intellectually curious and able to sustain intellectual interest
C. Communication
Further their own learning through effective use of a range of communication approaches, including effective questioning
Synthesis and clearly communicate key research findings to peers
Seek and value open feedback to inform genuine self-awareness
D. Personal Effectiveness
Be able to work effectively with others, capitalising on their different thinking, experience and skills |
Keywords | Mental Health,Wellbeing,Development,Children and Adolescents,Risk and Resilience |
Contacts
Course organiser | Dr Tracy Stewart
Tel: (0131 6)51 6310
Email: |
Course secretary | Miss Mariana Duarte
Tel:
Email: |
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