Media and Mental Health FTV4120

  • Academic Session: 2025-26
  • School: School of Culture and Creative Arts
  • Credits: 20
  • Level: Level 4 (SCQF level 10)
  • Typically Offered: Either Semester 1 or Semester 2
  • Available to Visiting Students: Yes
  • Collaborative Online International Learning: No
  • Curriculum For Life: No

Short Description

'Media and Mental Health' investigates the intersection between screen (and related) media and the field of mental health and well-being. Topics may include issues such as: the mediated representation of mental illness; autobiographical illness narratives; creative arts as therapy; mental health influencers; discourses of self-care; etc. Students will develop their critical thinking in this area by reviewing a media artefact in a short podcast and analysing mental health discourses in an essay.

Timetable

10 x 1 hour lecture as scheduled in MyCampus

10 x 1 hour seminar as scheduled in MyCampus

1 x 2 hour screening

Requirements of Entry

None

Excluded Courses

None

Co-requisites

None

Assessment

Podcast 10 minutes in length - 40%

Essay 2,500 words - 60%

Are reassessment opportunities available for all summative assessments? Not applicable for Honours courses

Reassessments are normally available for all courses, except those which contribute to the Honours classification. Where, exceptionally, reassessment on Honours courses is required to satisfy professional/accreditation requirements, only the overall course grade achieved at the first attempt will contribute to the Honours classification. For non-Honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions for this course are described below. 

Course Aims

This course aims to:

 

■ Introduce key topics, scholarly debates and social concerns at the intersection of media and mental health

■ Apply critical methods developed in film, TV and media studies to the field of mental health

■ Examine media as discourses which serve as means of social construction around mental health

■ Cultivate podcasting as a medium for critical analysis of media

Intended Learning Outcomes of Course

By the end of this course students will be able to:

 

■ Critically engage with key topics and debates at the intersection of media and mental health

■ Evaluate the relationship between film, TV and related media to the field of mental health

■ Create a podcast a vehicle for critical media analysis

■ Analyse discourses as a form of critical media analysis

Minimum Requirement for Award of Credits

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.