Improving Access to Mental Health Care in the Global Context MED5447
- Academic Session: 2022-23
- School: School of Health and Wellbeing
- Credits: 20
- Level: Level 5 (SCQF level 11)
- Typically Offered: Semester 2
- Available to Visiting Students: Yes
- Available to Erasmus Students: No
- Taught Wholly by Distance Learning: Yes
Short Description
This course will highlight the scale of the treatment gap for mental health difficulties in low and middle income countries. The course will also explore ways of making culturally appropriate, evidenced-based treatments available to large numbers of individuals in a cost-effective and sustainable way.
Timetable
Will be delivered as a series of lectures.
Requirements of Entry
None
Excluded Courses
None
Co-requisites
None
Assessment
Two components of written assessment:
■ 50% Essay (1500 words approx)
■ 50% Set Exercise (1500 words approx.)
Course Aims
This course aims to provide online distance knowledge on a range of topics focusing on building capacity for the delivery of mental health services across the world. This course also aims to consider whether treatments developed in high- income countries translate to low and middle income countries and also aims to consider innovative ways of making mental health treatments widely available
Intended Learning Outcomes of Course
By the end of this course students will be able to:
■ Critically evaluate ways of increasing the availability and accessibility of effective treatments for mental health difficulties and justify the importance of cultural adaptations. Consider what can be learned from the treatment of other conditions.
■ Critically discuss strategies to strengthen and sustain mental health care and treatment within existing health systems. Such strategies may include: task shifting, community based rehabilitation, collaborative care and scaling up.
■ Critically discuss how health systems and political factors may enhance or hinder the accessibility of mental health innovations (such as e-Health).
■ Critically reflect on the benefits and dangers of medical pluralism in low- and middle-income countries.
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.