MSc Mental Health Studies 2015/16 PROSPECTUS Mental Health Studies Programme INSTITUTE OF PSYCHIATRY, PSYCHOLOGY AND NEUROSCIENCE
The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN) http://www.kcl.ac.uk/ioppn/ The IoPPN is a global leader in teaching and research in the sciences relevant to mental health. Our work encompasses almost the entire range of disciplines required to understand the causes of mental disorders, to develop new treatments, and to evaluate their implementation at patient level, as well as at the level of services and national health and social care policies. As a student at the Institute you will be immersed in a vibrant, interdisciplinary research culture. You will mix with senior staff and fellow students working in complementary fields on a day-to-day basis, in seminars, lectures and, informally, in places like the café diner. We have strong connections to the South London and Maudsley Foundation NHS Trust; many of our academics are involved daily in the care of patients and we consult patient representatives about planning and design of research. Division of Academic Psychiatry, Department of Psychosis Studies http://www.kcl.ac.uk/ioppn/depts/ps/index.aspx The Mental Health Studies Programme sits within the Department of Psychosis Studies. This department has been recently formed following reorganisation of the previous Department of Psychiatry which had been built up by Prof Sir Robin Murray. The department was rated as world leading in the most recent Research Assessment Exercise and is currently headed by Professor Philip McGuire. The department has a very broad range of research interests with several research groups covering general psychiatry, cognition, genetics, neuroimaging, epidemiology, psychopharmacology, bipolar disorder and cognitive neuropsychiatry. Researchers work to understand the mechanisms of the processes that govern thinking, perception, judgement and emotion. For more information about the Department of Psychosis Studies, please visit its website. The MSc Mental Health Studies Programme http://www.kcl.ac.uk/ioppn/depts/ps/study/pgtaught/pmhs.aspx The Mental Health Studies Programme is part of the Department of Psychosis Studies, based at the Denmark Hill Campus of KCL. This programme of postgraduate courses, which started in 1992, is intended primarily for students who already have some experience of working in the mental health field. It is designed not only to enable students to build on their existing knowledge and experience of the mental health field but also to develop their skills of independent learning, critical appraisal and research. It has a multidisciplinary ethos, which is reflected in the student group and in the teaching staff, who are drawn from psychiatry, nursing, psychotherapy and psychology - and most modules have regular contributions from practising clinicians and visiting lecturers who are specialists in their field. Prof Sukhi Shergill (Chair) Dr Jenny Yiend (Director)
Programme Aims The Programme is led by Dr Paul Allen, a senior lecturer within the Department of Psychosis Studies. The MSc Mental Health Studies aims to enable students to build on their existing knowledge & experience within the field of Mental Health and to provide a basis for them to continue to advance their knowledge and understanding. More specifically, the programme aims to enable students to: Acquire a systematic understanding of theory, research and practice in mental health Develop a critical awareness of contemporary debates and current problems in the Mental Health field Develop skills of independent learning, critical appraisal and research Apply these systematically in evaluating different forms of evidence Apply the knowledge, understanding and skills gained to their specialist areas Graduates of the course have said that it helped them gain a deeper understanding of key issues in Mental Health today. Further feedback suggested that working on research projects at the Institute of Psychiatry equipped them with valuable research experience and contacts that helped them further their careers. Programme Structure Full-time one year (5 days-per week time commitment expected): Basic Mental Health (Tuesdays & Wednesdays) Research Principles & Methods (Tuesdays & Wednesdays) Optional Modules 1 & 2 (Tuesdays or Wednesdays) Dissertation (e.g. Monday, Thursday and Friday) Part-time two years (2.5 days-per week time commitment expected): Year 1 Basic Mental Health (Tuesdays & Wednesdays) Research Principles & Methods (Tuesdays & Wednesdays) Optional Module 1 (usually Tuesdays only) Year 2 Optional Module 2 (Tuesday or Wednesday) Dissertation (e.g. Monday, Thursday and Friday)
Core Modules Module: Basic Mental Health Module leaders: Dr Paul Allen and Dr Sarah Rowe The Basic Mental Health module is the foundation unit for the degree. It allows students from different backgrounds to develop a generic mental health knowledge base. Taking a bio-psychosocial approach, the module covers a wide variety of topics, including history, culture & mental illness; theoretical perspectives on mental illness; assessment & the formulation process; classification; clinical aspects of mental illness; contemporary approaches to treatment, management and care. o Basic Mental Health Small Group Tutorials The tutorials scheme for this module was piloted in 2011/12 and continued in recent years with great success. Six sessions over the course of the year, led by PhD students, are arranged with students on the Programme to provide extra support leading up to their exam period, and cover such topics as how to write an essay, how to construct and deconstruct an argument, revision methods and discussions about topics within the module to be chosen by the tutees. These tutorials are designed to address students specific academic needs in a non-intimidating manner and foster academic fluency and confidence. Module: Research Principles & Methods Module leader: Dr James Gilleen This module aims to develop a knowledge and understanding of research principles and methods and their application to the mental health field. It aims to cater for a wide range of abilities. The first term is compulsory and designed to bring students up to speed with the basics of research planning, design, ethical considerations, and the use of quantitative and qualitative approaches in the mental health field. Students with some experience in research already are encouraged to assist those without. The second and third terms operate on an optional sign up basis and are designed to meet individual research project needs. The second term teaches quantitative analysis using SPSS. The third term teaches specialist quantitative methods such as fmri analyses and multiple regression as well as specialist qualitative methods such as Grounded Theory and single case studies. Students are encouraged to sign up for those classes most relevant to their research projects. Module: Research Dissertation Module leaders: Dr Jenny Yiend & Dr Marie-Caroline Cotel The dissertation element is designed to enable students to develop their research knowledge and skills to undertake and write up a small-scale research project. It aims to enable students to build on their knowledge and understanding of quantitative and qualitative approaches to research in the field of mental health; enhance their knowledge and critical understanding of the research process; critically appreciate and apply the principles of rigorous research; systematically appraise research evidence pertaining to mental health; advance their existing knowledge and understanding of data collection and analysis; undertake the design, execution and writing up of a small scale research project, 10,000 words in length.
Optional Modules Module: Mental Health in the Workplace Module: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Module leader: Ms Stefania Tognin This module aims to provide an overview of the basic principles underlying Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and to examine its uses in clinical settings. The module is designed as an introduction to the theory, practice and application of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. During the first term students are introduced to the origins, basic model and key concepts and skills of CBT and are encouraged to engage in experiential exercises within classroom hours. During the second and third term students will have a chance to hear a range of CBT specialists presenting introductory level workshops on the latest clinical applications of CBT across different disorders such as depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders and psychosis, across different clinical settings (e.g. adult mental health and child settings), as well as recent developments in the field, such as mindfulness-based approaches. Module: Disaster Response: Mental Health, Behaviour and Communication Module leader: Dr James Rubin This module will considers how psychologists, psychiatrists and allied mental health professionals can play an essential role in helping societies and individuals prepare for, and respond to, these risks. The seminars and associated reading will introduce students to current problems, theories and evidence relating to how psychology and psychiatry can be applied to disaster preparedness and response. Students will be encouraged to critically appraise the literature, both in terms of its methodological quality and its practical relevance. The key overarching aims are to help students to develop an understanding of how and why people react in particular ways during a disaster or public health crisis develop an appreciation of the mental health issues that arise during a disaster, and develop their own ability to recommend or appraise interventions designed to lessen the impact of impact of a disaster. Specialist module (OPP1) Module leader: Gilly Wiscarson The module draws on psychological, psychiatric and organisational theory and evidence bases to examine the causes, effects and consequences of mental ill health in the workplace and to consider strategies and interventions to improve organisational and individual mental health. Students are encouraged to develop a critical awareness of contemporary issues and problems in relation to improving mental health at work at individual, interpersonal, organisational and policy levels and to apply this knowledge and understanding to their own workplace/area of interest. Module: Mind and Brain Module leaders: Dr Chiara Nosarti & Dr Philip Brittain This module will introduce students to neurocognitive aspects of the Mind-Brain relationship which are relevant to mental health. The goal of the course is to study how specific neurophysiologic correlates of cognitive, affective, social and genetic factors can affect mental health and psychopathology. In addition, the course will cover aspects of evidence-based interventions for psychiatric disorders and related cognitive and affective deficits, as well as the effects of structural and functional brain alterations studied with different neuroimaging techniques. Module: Pharmacotherapy Module Leader: Dr Derek Tracy The module provides an evidence-based introduction to all the major psychotropic groups of medicines and puts their use into a practical clinical context. Its aim is to enable students to develop knowledge and understanding of the psychotropics commonly used to treat mental illness in clinical practice; to develop a broad understanding of the issues faced by patients taking and those prescribing
psychotropics; to enable students to apply the knowledge and skills learnt in the module to patient care and to introduce students to the skills needed to critically appraise research about psychotropic medication. Module: Psychological Therapies Module leaders: Dr Paul Allen & Jasmin Kroll This module aims to introduce students to the key concepts and processes of CBT (Term 1) and Psychodynamic Psychotherapy (Term 2), Family Systemic Psychotherapy (Term 3). Students have an opportunity to develop a critical understanding of these three models of therapy and their applications. 1. The fundamental principles of CBT: behaviourism and behaviour therapy; the development of cognitive therapy; basic CBT competencies and the evidence base for CBT. 2. Key concepts in psychoanalytic psychotherapy including the development of Freud s ideas, Kleinian ideas, Object Relations theories, Attachment Theories, the Anti-psychiatry Movement and the influence of Post-modernity on psychoanalytic theories and clinical practice. 3. The basics of Family Systemic Psychotherapy: General Systems Theory, Life-cycle theories & genograms; an overview of Strategic, Structural and Milan models of Family Therapy; Narrative and other post-modern family therapies; the Multi-Family model. Module: Social & Community Mental Health Module leaders: Dr Zhimin He and Ms Kyra- Verena Sendt This module aims to provide an overview of the theory and practice of Social & Community Mental Health and to enable students to evaluate the evidence supporting the provision of mental health care in the community. The module covers three key areas: 1. Bio-psychosocial factors in mental illness, including social determinants, cumulative influences of adversity and advantage, prenatal, perinatal and early childhood risk factors, ageing, gender, childhood trauma, population based studies, substance abuse 2. Focus on special groups and key challenges, including ethnic minorities and migrants, service users with dual diagnosis, service user involvement in research, integrating mental health care with primary care, community-based forensic services, employment, stigma, discrimination & social exclusion, recovery, risk 3. Contemporary approaches to service delivery, including mental health policy, care programme approach, early intervention approaches, therapeutic communities Module: Women s Mental Health Module leader: Dr Kate Tchanturia The module covers theoretical and practical applications of Women s Mental Health and will introduce a wide range of topics, including biological, psychological and social risk factors contributing to mental problems. Experts from a variety of disciplines, including psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, social workers, therapists and nurses, share updated research evidence with the group. Students develop their knowledge of both female dominant disorders (eating disorders, perinatal problems), and issues related to self-esteem, sexuality, abuse.
Clinical Placements Scheme (CPS) The Master s Programme has a clinical volunteer programme allowing suitable students the opportunity of spending time working with patients with mental illnesses. This optional component provides voluntary opportunities for clinical exposure in our local Mental Health Trust (SLaM) and other similar trusts, in recognition of the fact that many students require clinical experience as well as academic qualifications. We offer approximately 60-70 placements per annum to students enrolled on the Programme. Past students have found this an invaluable opportunity to gain experience with practising clinicians, helping to make choices about future career plans in fields such as clinical psychology and psychiatric nursing. We source and provide a database of contacts and encourage students to apply directly to placement providers - clinicians, psychiatrists, psychologists and other therapists for regular part-time volunteer work during their study. Please note that the Mental Health Studies Programme only acts as facilitator and not as the main organiser for any placements. Placements can become available for your benefit but are up to you to pursue. Your placement is voluntary, is not assessed and will not count towards your Master s qualification. Career destinations Each year several of our students join one of the highly sought after DClinPsych programmes while others are accepted onto related PhD programmes. Below are examples of jobs our graduates held before and after completing this MSc Programme. Job Before Taking Course Care Assistant for Children with Learning Disabilities Job After Completing Course Clinical Educator for Mental Health & Addictions Care Home Manager Clinical Psychologist Charge Nurse Clinical Researcher Charity Outreach Worker Community Support Worker Deputy Unit Nurse Manager Deputy Team Leader (Nursing) Full-Time Student Director of Occupational Health In-Patient Service Manager Investigations Manager & Clinical Performance Investigator Nursing & Research Assistant Lead Clinician Project Manager in the Voluntary Sector NHS Mental Health Advisor Psychology Intern Performance & Well-Being At Work Consultant Psychotherapist PhD Student Registered Mental Health Nurse Private Psychotherapist Residential Mental Health Worker Psychologist Staff Nurse Same Job - Higher Salary/Promotion
A Beautiful Mind: Art and Science in Mental Illness (King s Experience Interdisciplinary Award) The Mental Health Studies Programme, in co-operation with King s Learning Institute (KLI), runs a series of Interdisciplinary Lectures which form part of KLI s King s Experience Awards. These lectures are open to MHSP students and other students and staff at King s College London. The lectures explore mental illness through the diverse perspectives of different disciplines and aim to provide students and staff with an opportunity to expand their knowledge by creating the opportunity to think about mental illness in a more interdisciplinary way. The teaching is delivered by academics from diverse professional backgrounds. In Term 1 this interdisciplinary module runs in Term 1 only and offers lectures usually grounded around four themes: 1) History of mental illness 2) Arts and mental health 3) Science and mental health 4) Mental illness in literature. Students who apply for and enrol on this cross-college non-credit-bearing module A Beautiful Mind: Art and Science in Mental Illness, through KLI, will be expected to undertake an interdisciplinary exploration of mental illness using one of the following types of assessment: essay-based or artefact-based (examples include a research paper, life writing, fiction, digital media, painting, photography). However, MHSP students and any other students or staff from the IoPPN and King s can also attend the module without undertaking the assessment. Contact For further information about the programme please visit our website at http://www.kcl.ac.uk/ioppn/depts/ps/study/pgtaught/pmhs.aspx or contact: Mental Health Studies Programme Addiction Sciences Building B3.05, 3 rd floor 4 Windsor Walk, Denmark Hill London SE5 8AF Tel: 020 7848 0193 Fax: 020 7848 0126 E-mail: mhsp@kcl.ac.uk KEY CONTACTS Dr Paul Allen Programme Leader p.allen@kcl.ac.uk Dr Katerina Koutsantoni Programmes Manager katerina.koutsantoni@kcl.ac.uk Programme Administration mhsp@kcl.ac.uk