Child and Adolescent Mental Wellbeing MSc, PG Cert, PG Dip

Develop your specialist knowledge on child and adolescent mental health focusing on an understanding of how significant the psyche development is on mental health. You’ll begin to understand various theoretical perspectives, relating to psyche development and how healthy development can have an effect on mental wellbeing. You’ll have the opportunity to explore more specific aspects of human development (including language and cognitive development) and it will give the you the opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of more complex circumstances which affect the mental health of children. Explore how the very early years can have an effect on child and adolescence mental wellbeing, helping you to understand possible concepts and issues including moral issues, risk and resilience. You’ll also be encouraged to consider this from an international perspective.

Focussing on the different mental health conditions and disorders of emotional wellbeing that children and young people may present with or be diagnosed with. You’ll develop a comprehensive understanding of these conditions in order to facilitate support and to develop understanding in regard to how the statutory and non-statutory organisations can support the child/adolescent and their family to enable them to aid recovery. You’ll explore coping mechanisms and how these influence the child’s mental wellbeing, social communication and behaviour regulation will also be considered, as well as learning disabilities. The teaching and learning will focus on the family and how the dynamics, culture and systems can affect the child’s mental health, and how mental wellbeing affects the family. Interventions and treatment will be considered in relation to mental health issues in children.

With a focus on cultural, social and family influences on child and adolescent mental wellbeing you’ll explore current issues in mental health from both a national and global perspective. The need to understand children holistically; taking into account cultural beliefs, values and attitudes, and social context, is gaining importance due to the complexity of mental health problems and the increased need for services for different ethnic groups and for children whose lives have changed due to civil unrest. We’ll address a number of issues related to child and adolescent mental wellbeing and society including health promotion. The way in which mental illness is portrayed through the media and the impact this can have on interpretations of mental health and mental illness within a given society will be explored. Examining how mental health is represented in the news, on social media and global technology, sexuality will also be explored. The delivery of culturally appropriate health care will also be examined and how the knowledge gained can be applied to current or future practice.

With the increased emphasis on research in contemporary healthcare, it’s essential that you are familiar with research methodology. The ability to critically analyse and synthesise research is a necessary skill for all students, to be able to apply research in all areas of specialist interest in the delivery of effective patient care. You’ll revisit existing knowledge of the research process and we’ll assist you in further developing skills of critical analysis and synthesis. You’ll also have the opportunity to critically appraise the ethical dimensions of research studies that seek to develop, improve and advance healthcare services.

The Major Project is central to the Masters award and enables you to demonstrate your ability to synthesise learning from previous modules. You will use this learning as the basis for planning, conducting and writing up a research or work-based project. This is the opportunity for you to demonstrate the ability to raise significant and meaningful questions in relation to your chosen topic and a critical understanding of research methods and their relationship to knowledge. You will also be in a position to develop solutions to ethical dilemmas likely to arise in your research or professional practice and to expand existing knowledge to contribute to the development of best practice.