Mental Health Awareness Program

Unit 1 – Introduction To mental health issues

• Introduction
• Definition of abnormality – social constructs
• Definition of abnormality – statistical infrequency
• Definition of abnormality – failing to function adequately
• Labelling and mental health
• So how does this relate to mental illness?
• Case study – African Caribbean people and schizophrenia
• More on stigmatisation and labelling
• Causes of mental illness
• Social and environmental factors
• Physical factors
• Psychological factors
• Diathesis-stress model
• Treatments for mental health problems

Unit 2 – Depression In men and women

• Introduction
• Forms of depression
• Determining which type of depression
• Triggers to depression
• Causes of depression
• Risk factors for depression
• Gender and depression
• Older people and depression
• Psychological aspects of long term grief
• Other types of depression
• Treatment for depression

Unit 3 – Anxiety, phobias and OCD

• Introduction
• PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder)
• Treatments

Unit 4 – schizophrenia

• Introduction
• Causes of schizophrenia
• Symptoms of schizophrenia
• Diagnosing schizophrenia
• Subtypes of schizophrenia
• Treatment of schizophrenia
• Management of the acute syndrome

Unit 5 – Antisocial personality disorders

• Personality disorders
• Antisocial personality disorder (psychopathy)
• Causes of psychopathy
• Treatment of psychopathy

Unit 6 – Eating disorders

• Introduction
• Causes of eating disorders
• Anorexia nervosa
• Body image and self esteem
• Physical symptoms of anorexia nervosa
• Treatment for anorexia
• Bulimia nervosa
• Associated behaviours
• Physical symptoms of bulimia nervosa
• Treatment for bulimia
• Obesity
• Psychological complications
• Treatment for obesity

Unit 7 – Dementias

• Introduction
• Definition
• Types of dementia
• Causes of dementia
• Dementia and old age
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Vascular dementia
• Care and management of dementia

Unit 8 – Helping yourself in mental health issues

• Introduction
• A holistic approach to mental health
• Diet and exercise
• Imbalances in the body
• Psychological and psychosocial factors
• The role of friends and family – social support networks
• Self-help groups
• Self-control techniques

Unit 9 – Services for mental health issues

• Introduction
• Counselling approaches
• Counsellor
• Psychotherapist
• Clinical psychologist
• Psychiatrist
• Nurses and professional carers
• Crisis centres
• Telephone and online counselling
• Group therapy
• Complimentary therapies