PYMEAC-Engagement and Assessment of Common Mental Health Problems in Children and Young People

Module Provider: Psychology
Number of credits: 20 [10 ECTS credits]
Level:7
Terms in which taught: Autumn / Spring term module
Pre-requisites:
Non-modular pre-requisites: Co-requisites: PYMFPC and PYMLIC. In addition, for EMHP students, PYMWES, PYMPES and PYMIES must be passed. For CWP students, PYMWCS, PYMPCS and PYMICS must be passed..
Co-requisites:
Modules excluded:
Current from: 2023/4

Module Convenor: Miss Anjali Chandar
Email: a.m.chandar@reading.ac.uk

Type of module:

Summary module description:

Children’s Wellbeing Practitioners (CWPs) and Education Mental Health Practitioners (EMHPs) assess and support children and young people (CYP) with common mental health problems such as anxiety and depression. To do so they must be able to undertake a robust client-centred assessment, which reflects a shared understanding of the CYP’s current difficulties and their goals, and informs how decisions are made with the family about the best next steps. This module provides teaching on the incidence, prevalence and presentation of common mental health problems experienced by CYP, and training in conducting assessment. It includes training in client-centred information-gathering, risk assessment, use of standardised measures, information-giving and shared decision-making. In all these areas of assessment, students need to be able to engage children, young people and their carers, and establish an appropriate relationship whilst gathering information in a collaborative manner.

Aims:

Students will develop knowledge of mental health disorders affecting CYP, and the evidence-based therapeutic options available, and be able to communicate this knowledge in a clear and unambiguous way so that informed treatment choices can be made. In addition, they will develop knowledge of behaviour change models and how these can inform choice of goals and interventions. This module will, therefore, equip students with a good understanding of the incidence, prevalence and presentation of common mental health problems in CYP, and evidenced-based treatment choices. Skills teaching will develop students’ core ‘common factors’ competencies of active listening, engagement, alliance building, patient-centred information gathering, information giving and shared decision making.

Assessable learning outcomes:

Students must demonstrate

1. Knowledge, understanding and critical awareness of concepts of mental health and mental illness, diagnostic category systems in mental health of children and��young people and a range of social, medical and psychological explanatory models.


2. Knowledge of, and competence in applying the principles, purposes and different elements of assessment undertaken with CYP presenting with common mental health problems.


3. Knowledge of, and competence in using ‘common factors’ to engage CYP, gather information, build a therapeutic alliance, manage the emotional content of sessions and grasp the CYP’s perspective or “world view”.


4. Knowledge of, and competence in ‘patient-centred’ information gathering to arrive at a succinct and collaborative definition of the CYP’s main mental health difficulties and the impact this has on their daily lives.


5. Knowledge of, and competence in recognising patterns of symptoms consistent with diagnostic categories of mental disorder from a patient-centred interview and able to assess and recognise any risks to self and others posed by CYPs.


6. Knowledge of, and competence in accurate risk assessment to CYP or others


7. Knowledge of, and competence in the use of standardised routine outcome measures to aid problem recognition and definition, and subsequent decision making


8. Knowledge, understanding and competence in using behaviour change models in identifying intervention goals and choice of appropriate interventions.


9. Knowledge of, and competence in giving evidence-based information about treatment choices and in making shared decisions with CYP.


10. Competence in understanding the CYP’s attitude to a range of evidence-based psychological treatments.


11. Competence in accurate recording of interviews and questionnaire assessments using paper and electronic record keeping systems.

Additional outcomes:

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