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Fundamentals of Mental Health

Study Course Description

Course Description Statuss:Approved
Course Description Version:7.00
Study Course Accepted:22.08.2023 14:16:29
Study Course Information
Course Code:PMUPK_032LQF level:Level 6
Credit Points:2.00ECTS:3.00
Branch of Science:Clinical MedicineTarget Audience:Public Health
Study Course Supervisor
Course Supervisor:Laura Valaine
Study Course Implementer
Structural Unit:Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy
The Head of Structural Unit:
Contacts:Riga, 30 Kristapa Street, pmpkatrsu[pnkts]lv, +371 67210989
Study Course Planning
Full-Time - Semester No.1
Lectures (count)6Lecture Length (academic hours)2Total Contact Hours of Lectures12
Classes (count)10Class Length (academic hours)2Total Contact Hours of Classes20
Total Contact Hours32
Study course description
Preliminary Knowledge:
Anatomy and physiology of the nervous system.
Objective:
To promote the acquisition of knowledge about the regularities of human psychic functioning, the interaction of social and psychic processes, the mechanisms of crisis development and crisis management, as well as to gain an idea of the psychodynamic processes taking place in communication.
Topic Layout (Full-Time)
No.TopicType of ImplementationNumberVenue
11. Mental health criteria. The unity of mental and physical health - anatomical, physiological, social aspects. The biopsychosocial model in medicine. The main etiopathogenetic factors of diseases and disorders in the opinion of a public health specialist. 2. Aspects of the interaction between ethics and professionalism.Lectures1.00auditorium
21. Differences in building communication and therapeutic relationship. Medicine and the patient (“the inadmissibility of ‘client’ in medicine”). 2. The ability to listen. Active and passive listening. Talking. Pauses. The difference between a casual conversation and a professional conversation. 3. Empathy, sympathy and antipathy in communication. Role of emotions in communication.Lectures1.00auditorium
3Stress management. The concepts of stress, distress and eustress. Emotional crises, types thereof. Possibilities and types of help. Prevention of emotional crises. Crisis intervention.Lectures1.00auditorium
41. The concept of personality. The topographical and structural model of the functioning of the psyche. Forms of the expression of subconsciousness in everyday life: slip of the tongue and formation of symptoms, conflict between the conscious and unconscious feelings. 2. Mental health and psychosomatic disorders and diseases, interrelationships thereof. Incidence of psychosomatic patients. Types of psychosomatic diseases and disorders, prevalence, challenges they pose to the health care system.Lectures1.00auditorium
5Mental defence mechanisms. 1. Immature mental defence mechanisms. 2. Mature mental defence mechanisms.Lectures1.00auditorium
6Levels of personality functioning and types of personality organisation. 1. Neurotic level of functioning: identity, contact with the reality, mental defence mechanisms, internal conflict and ability to form relationships. 2. Borderline level of functioning: identity, contact with the reality, mental defence mechanisms, internal conflict and ability to form relationships. 3. Psychotic level of functioning: identity, contact with the reality, mental defence mechanisms.Lectures1.00auditorium
7Group discussion of the first lecture material. The difference between a casual conversation and a professional conversation between a public health professional and a patient. Role playing. Greeting and starting a conversation. Parting. Role playing.Classes1.00auditorium
8Group discussion of the second lecture material. Role playing continued. Greeting and starting a conversation. Parting. Simulation of conflict situations. Analysis of video materials.Classes1.00auditorium
9Seminar and group discussion on depressive, manic personality structure. Patient case. 1. Depressive personality organisation: leading affects, mental defence mechanisms, coping strategies, internal conflict, object relations; specifics of the patient-doctor relationship formation. 2. Manic personality organisation: leading affects, mental defence mechanisms, coping strategies, internal conflict, object relations; specifics of the patient-doctor relationship formation.Classes1.00auditorium
10Seminar and group discussion on narcissistic personality structure. Patient case. Narcissistic personality organisation: leading affects, mental defence mechanisms, coping strategies, internal conflict, object relations; specifics of the patient-doctor relationship formation. Analysis of video materials.Classes1.00auditorium
11Seminar and group discussion on obsessive-compulsive structure. Patient case. Obsessive-compulsive personality organisation: leading affects, mental defence mechanisms, coping strategies, internal conflict, object relations, specifics of the patient-doctor relationship formation.Classes1.00auditorium
12Seminar and group discussion on masochistic personality structure. Patient case. Masochistic personality organisation: leading affects, mental defence mechanisms, coping strategies, internal conflict, object relations; specifics of the patient-doctor relationship formation.Classes1.00auditorium
13Seminar and group discussion on hysterical and dissociative personality structure. Patient case. 1. Hysterical personality organisation: leading affects, mental defence mechanisms, coping strategies, internal conflict, object relations; specifics of the patient-doctor relationship formation. 2. Dissociative personality organisation: leading affects, mental defence mechanisms, coping strategies, internal conflict, object relations; specifics of the patient-doctor relationship formation.Classes1.00auditorium
14Seminar and group discussion on paranoid and schizoid personality structure. Patient case. 1. Paranoid personality organisation: leading affects, mental defence mechanisms, coping strategies, internal conflict, object relations; specifics of the patient-doctor relationship formation. 2. Schizoid personality organisation: leading affects, mental defence mechanisms, coping strategies, internal conflict, object relations; specifics of the patient-doctor relationship formation.Classes1.00auditorium
15Seminar and group discussion on antisocial personality structure. Patient case. Antisocial personality organisation: leading affects, mental defence mechanisms, coping strategies, internal conflict, object relations; specifics of the patient-doctor relationship formation.Classes1.00auditorium
16Closing topics. Examination (written).Classes1.00auditorium
Assessment
Unaided Work:
To get acquainted with appropriate literature before each class, prepare questions. Preparation and analysis of patient case descriptions. In order to evaluate the quality of the study course as a whole, the student must fill out the study course evaluation questionnaire on the Student Portal.
Assessment Criteria:
Criteria for assessing students’ knowledge: I. Knowledge – the ability to define: 75%: 1. Patient mental health criteria (15%) 2. Patient mental protection mechanisms (15%) 3. Personality definitions, theories of development, levels of personality functioning of patients (15%) 4. The notion of psychosomatic disorders and diseases, theories of somatization (15%) 5. Differences in communication with patients and with customers (15%). II. Skills: 25%: 1. Principles of public health specialist-patient/client relationship building (25%). Automatic pass in the exam: 1. 100% class and lecture attendance. AND 2. The student actively participates in discussions and role plays. 3. According to the lecturer’s instructions – writing an essay of 5-6 pages, in which the questions asked by the lecturer are analysed. OR Preparing a presentation on: a) a topic of cycle classes (literature review); b) a clinical case; c) the latest research (according to the topic of the class).
Final Examination (Full-Time):Exam (Written)
Final Examination (Part-Time):
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge:Students will be able to describe the structure, development and regularities of functioning of human personality, as well as the influence of emotional and social factors on human psychological development and functioning; crisis development mechanisms, their impact on human psychosocial functioning and crisis management options.
Skills:Students will be able to resolve conflicts and use crisis management techniques in practical exercises.
Competencies:Students will analyse different types of examples of personality traits and relationships, analyse different group processes and conflict situations in clinical examples.
Bibliography
No.Reference
Required Reading
1Women at higher risk for inflation-related stress, 24.05.2023
2Medical-level empathy? Yup, chatGPT can fake that, 4.05.2023
3Melatonin a new way to reduce self-harm, 27.03.2023
4Epigenetics, satiety, and predictive markers of obesity, 27.02.2023
5Beyond the psychedelic effect: ayahuasca as antidepressant, 10.02.2023
6Emotional eating tied to risk for diastolic dysfunction, 19.01.2023
7Vegetarians suffer more depression than meat eaters, 27.12.2022
8Greater Handgrip Strength tied to lower risk for depression, 20.12.2022
9What happens when doctors and patients interrupt each other?, 23.11.2022
10German survey on assisted suicide: how to handle this? Where should caution be exercised?, 16.09.2022
11Social isolation, Loneliness tied to death, MI, stroke: AHA, 4.08.2022
12Physicians react: burnout rates are alarming, so who should drive change? 6.06.2022
13K. Abrahamsson. R. Ennals. Sustainable work in Europe. Concepts, Conditions, Challenges. 2022 Edited Collection. 342 Pages
14Empathy fatigue in clinicians rises with latest COVID-19 surge, 16.09.2021
15Why men need mind-body medicine now more than ever, 2.04.2020
16G.Ancāne, A.Utināns, A.Ancāns, A.Miksons. Chapter 16: Psychosomatic Medicine in the Baltic States, Soviet Union, and the Russian Federation./ Leigh, Hoyle. Global Psychosomatic Medicine and Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry: Theory, Research, Education, and Practice / Springer International Publishing, 2019. -VIII, 365-382. (atbilstošā nodaļa ir ievietota e-vidē)
17Why do we love sad music? Mourning our pain, 27.11.2018
18The 8 things that end childhood too soon: what clinicians should know, 30.06.2017
19Why do depressed doctors suffer in silence? – 27.06.2017
20Stress and depression mediated by single brain protein, 20.11.2014
21How the brain responds to trauma, 24.09.2014
22Long work hours wreak havoc in MDs, Personal lives, 23.09.2013
23Nature, Niche, and nurture. The role of social experience in transforming genotype into phenotype, 11.10.2011
24Gunta Ancāne. Krīze, phenomenon ranularum un psihiskā veselība. Latvijas ārsts, 2009, 12, 10-13. (akceptējams izdevums)
25Arturs Utināns. Cilvēka psihe. Tās darbība, funkcionēšanas traucējumi un ārstēšanas iespējas. Nacionālais apgāds. 2005. 568 lpp. (akceptējams izdevums)
26Implementing the care programme approach in psychotherapeutics settings, 2004
27Post-traumatic stress disorder: symptom profiles in men and women, 2003
28Physical symptoms and physician-experienced difficulty in the physician –patient relationship, 1.05.2001
29Džons Boulbijs. Drošais pamats. Rasa, ABC. 1998. (akceptējams izdevums)
Additional Reading
1Gunta Ancāne. Hronisku sāpju stāvokļu psihosomatiska izpratne//Latvijas Ārsts.- 2004. Nr1.- 40- 43
2Gunta Ancāne. Ķermeņa un psihes saistība//Psiholoģijas Pasaule.-2004.-Nr.1-38.-43.lpp
3Gunta Ancāne. Psihosomatiskās medicīnas definīcija un īsa tās ideju attīstības vēsture//Psiholoģijas Pasaule.2004.2. 36- 40.
4Gunta Ancāne. Sirds–asinsvadu sistēmas un elpošanas sistēmas psihosomatiska.//Psiholoģijas pasaule.-2004./6; 34-39.
5Gunta Ancāne. "Ārsta un pacienta terapeitisko attiecību psihoemocionālie aspekti." //Latvijas Ārsts.-2005/6. 77.-79.
6Gunta Ancāne. “Psihosomatiskie traucējumi un slimības” //Psiholoģijas Pasaule.-2004/04; 44.-49.
7Gunta Ancāne. “Ēšana kā komunikācija un ēšanas traucējumi” //Psiholoģijas Pasaule.-2004/05; 18.-23.
8Gunta Ancāne. “21.gadsimta modernā slimība – izsīkuma jeb izdegšanas sindroms” //Psiholoģijas Pasaule.-2004/07; 26-31.
9Gunta Ancāne, D.Šmite, A.Ancāns. Emocionāla distresa un muskuloskeletālas disfunkcijas mijiedarbība pacientiem ar hroniskām muguras lejasdaļas sāpēm/ /Zinātniskie raksti: 2006.g.medicīnas nozares pētnieciskā darba publikācijas. RSU.-Rīga, 2007.-86.-96.lpp.
10Daniel Goleman. Tava emocionālā inteliģence Rīga : Jumava, 2019