VPSY6010 The Human Being, Mental Suffering and the Social Environment Course description

In this course, students become familiar with basic concepts such as mental health, mental disorders and mental health care from academic and theory of science perspectives. Ethical aspects and the importance of interpersonal relationships will be discussed throughout the course. The course also deals with organisational framework conditions.

Admission to the programme.

After completing the course, the student is expected to have achieved the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and competence:

Knowledge

The student has

• advanced knowledge of mental health, mental disorders and substance abuse issues seen from different academic and theory of science perspectives.
• basic knowledge about classification and diagnosis systems for mental disorders
• in-depth knowledge about the importance of relationships in mental health care
• basic knowledge about organisational, legal, health policy, academic and financial framework conditions
• in-depth knowledge about the organisation of mental health services, and how this affects patients' recovery processes.

Skills

The student is capable of

• disseminating the field's core theoretical and empirical knowledge in writing and orally
• participating in academic and health and social policy discussions that promote knowledge about the field of mental health, and communicating the user/patient's perspective
• analysing and taking a critical approach to health and social policy, legal and financial framework conditions for working in mental health care, and applying the analyses to academic and ethical argumentation
• analysing the discipline's/profession's contribution to interdisciplinary cooperation at various levels and of applying this knowledge in the coordination of user-oriented services.

Competence

The student is capable of

• integrating knowledge about the view of human life and ethics in academic discussions relating to mental health and mental disorders

Study groups, lectures, seminars and self-study.

The syllabus amounts to approx. 1600 pages.

The following must have been completed and approved in order for a student to be permitted to take the exam:

Attendance in compulsory activities

• of 80% in study groups and seminars

Group assignment

• scope: 700 words (+/- 20%) Presentation in groups with opponents

Individual assignment

• scope: 2,500 words (+/- 20 %)

Individual written home exam

• during the course period

• scope: 4,000 words (+/- 20 %)

• a student who fails the ordinary exam, may nevertheless submit a reworked version as a resit

All aids are permitted, as long as the rules for source referencing are complied with.

Grade scale A-F.

All answer papers are assessed by two examiners. At least 20% per cent of the exam papers will be assessed by an external examiner. The external examiner's assessment shall benefit all the students.

VPSY6010, VPSYD6010, PSYD6010 and MAPSD4010 overlap 100%.