Mental Health - Introduction

Overview:

Mental health issues affect one in four of the population at some point in their lives, yet there is still much misunderstanding and stigma associated with these conditions. From general anxiety and depression, through to the more severe problems such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, most of us will know someone who has been affected.

This course provides an introduction to the issues that affect people with mental health needs, and provides foundation information and awareness on the more common conditions. For health, social care and public sector workers and services this is essential knowledge that will assist them to better understand and respond to the needs of their customers who may be experiencing mental health difficulties.

Aims & Objectives:

Aims & Objectives:

On completion of this course, delegates will be able to:

Describe the common mental health conditions.
Identify common anti-discriminatory measures that can be applied.
Use their increased knowledge to challenge common misconceptions of mental health.
Identify the impact that mental health can have on the individual and their community.
Consider how to support individuals within their own practice situations
Identify sources of specialist support for mental health issues.

Learning outcomes:

Increased awareness and understanding of common mental health problems
Increased confidence when dealing with individuals who may be experiencing mental health problems
An understanding of how mental health issues can affect an individual's life.
An understanding of the social exclusion and discrimination issues associated with having a mental health problem
An understanding of what supports may be helpful and how reasonable adjustments can be made in the workplace to support mental health issues.

Course Outline:

Defining mental health issues
Stress-vulnerability model as a way of understanding risk of mental health issues.
Common conditions, their symptoms and triggers
The social images of mental health and how these relate to the reality
Social inclusion and mental health issues.
Types of support available and how these can be accessed.

The course is delivered as an interactive training session, with taught elements supported by a range of exercises utilised to support learning, these include - group exercises, case studies and role play.

Increased awareness of common mental health conditions
Increased awareness of how mental health can impact on the individual and their social situation
Increased confidence when interacting with individuals who may have mental health issues.