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The Open University

Making sense of mental health problems

The Open University via OpenLearn

Overview

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Over the past century there has been a radical shift in responses to people who experience mental health problems. In this free course, Making sense of mental health problems, you will learn about how key perspectives in the field have made sense of mental health problems. By directly relating key perspectives to a case study, you will reflect on how the medical perspective, psychological perspective and social need perspective come to make sense of mental ill-health.

Syllabus

  • Introduction
  • Learning outcomes
  • 1 Assessing mental health problems
  • 1 Assessing mental health problems
  • 1.1 An assessment of Mandy’s situation
  • 2 Medical perspectives
  • 2 Medical perspectives
  • 2.1 Diagnostic handbooks
  • 2.2 Scientific advances in understanding mental health problems
  • 2.3 A psychiatrist’s perspective
  • 3 Psychological perspectives
  • 3 Psychological perspectives
  • 3.1 Psychological formulation
  • 3.2 A psychologist’s perspective
  • 4 Social need perspectives
  • 4 Social need perspectives
  • 4.1 A social worker’s perspective
  • 5 Diagnosis and its alternatives
  • 5 Diagnosis and its alternatives
  • 5.1 Alternative approaches
  • Conclusion
  • References
  • Acknowledgements

Reviews

5.0 rating, based on 1 Class Central review

4.5 rating at OpenLearn based on 40 ratings

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  • Having engaged with this course, I found its exploration of mental health paradigms both intellectually stimulating and professionally relevant. The content accurately delineated the medical, psychological, and social perspectives, fostering a Socratic appreciation for the complexities inherent in assessment and formulation. The descriptions provided were precise, and upon completion, the certificate of participation was issued as stated. The estimated time commitment proved accurate, allowing for a thorough yet manageable engagement with the material. This course effectively bridges theoretical debates with practical insights, reinforcing the value of multifaceted approaches in understanding mental health.

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