Mental Health Studies MSc/PgDip / Healthcare Studies PGCert

Students will critically explore the theory and practice of mental health from prevention to recovery. There will be a detailed exploration of the key aspects within the field of mental health and the student will be encouraged to review innovative research, social policy and local policies and developments.

Students will be helped to develop skills in cognitive behavioural strategies and techniques. This includes a critical examination of theory and practice as applied to their own work with individuals with mental health problems.

Students will learn how to assess, reduce, and positively manage risks specific to mental health – exploring the clinical, social and organisational context of risk. Students will increase their knowledge, develop skills, and develop strategies to address aspects of risk.

Promoting social inclusion and recovery lies at the heart of current mental health service policy and care. Students will engage with contemporary theory, research, and policy. You will critically review these service developments and synthesise information and ideas from a review of their service.

This module has been developed to assist students in developing physical care skills in providing comprehensive care for mental health service users (MHSUs). The focus will include physiology as applied to clinical mental health care and a range of skills required in facilitating safe physical care for MHSUs. This module will also focus on government policy, professional practice and implementing best practices relating to physical care for mental illness.

Students will plan care and highlight the necessity for the mental health service user and their carers to be involved in the care. The student will develop skills in planning and delivering interventions that will enable them to work effectively within a variety of mental health practice settings.

Motivational interviewing is an approach that aims to engage people’s intrinsic motivation to change their behaviour. It is a semi-directive technique that uses questions and support to help people set their own goals, see discrepancies between where they are and where they would like to be and develop strategies to move forward. Motivational interviewing is more of an interpersonal style than a distinct ‘technique.’ The approach has a guiding philosophy focused on what triggers change. The techniques used may include seeking to understand a person’s frame of reference through reflective listening, expressing acceptance, recognising the patient’s degree of readiness to change, eliciting and reinforcing the patient’s own self motivational statements and affirming the patient’s freedom of choice and self-direction.

This module aims to develop the student’s mastery of evidence-based interventions to meet the needs of people with dementia and their family caregivers from diagnosis to end of life. It also aims to facilitate high-level understanding of the complexity of needs experienced by people with dementia, in a socio-cultural context and with particular reference to the specific needs of minority groups which may include ethnic communities, younger people, and those with learning disabilities.

The module focuses on developing students’ research capability as part of their professional practice within a health and social care context. Students are allowed to develop their research capability through designing and implementing their own research proposal. The aim is to support students to undertake a scholarly inquiry and develop a critical understanding of social science research and its contribution to their professional field of practice. We use an action-based inquiry approach which requires students to engage with their research topic from the beginning.

You'll work on practical assignments as well as attending lectures, workshops and seminars, where you will take part in class discussions and give presentations.

You will work on problem-solving exercises, case studies, role-play exercises and group exercises, and supplement all this with your own independent study, including online learning. You'll submit a research proposal and dissertation or work-based project, for which you will receive one-to-one tuition.

This is an online distance learning course, so all teaching and learning is done online.

You will be studying online and/or at our north London campus in Hendon. For some of the optional modules you may undertake which are skill-based, these may be taught at our state-of-the-art facilities at StoneX Stadium.

Whether you are studying full or part-time – your course timetable will balance your study commitments on campus with time for work, life commitments and independent study.

We aim to make timetables available to students at least two weeks before the start of term. Some weeks are different due to how we schedule classes and arrange on-campus sessions.

In a typical year, you’ll spend about 1200 hours on your course.

Outside of teaching hours, you’ll learn independently through reading articles and books, working on projects, undertaking research, and preparing for assessments including coursework and presentations.

Your knowledge and understanding will be assessed using a variety of methods, which are informed by the University and faculty strategies. Each module will be assessed according to the assessment guidelines of that particular module, therefore assessments will vary according to the type and focus of each module.

The assessment methods of each module are designed to help you integrate theory and practice, maximise your critical thinking and synthesis skills, and develop and strengthen your understanding of advanced clinical practice. These include case studies, service reviews, audits/evaluations of current practice, reports, OSCEs, examinations, presentations, critical reflection on practice and critical reviews of evidence and portfolios, and research proposals.

The assessment methods will depend on the modules you take.

You'll evaluate your work, skills and knowledge and identify areas for improvement. Sometimes you'll work in groups and assess each other's progress.

Each term, you'll get regular feedback on your learning.