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About Study Course

Credit points / ECTS:2 / 3
Course supervisor:Māris Taube
Study type:Part time
Course level:Master's
Target audience:Social Welfare and Social Work
Language:Latvian
Branch of science:Clinical Medicine; Psychiatry

Objective

To develop an understanding of social psychiatry and the opportunities that can be provided in cases of mental disorders and illnesses. To provide knowledge about the impact of the social environment on mental health, its relation to the prevalence, occurrence, clinical manifestations and dynamics of mental disorders, as well as the impact of social factors in therapy, rehabilitation and prevention.

Prerequisites

• Anatomy (central nervous system structure, functions, synapse structure);
• Psychology, developmental and medical psychology (crisis response phases, psychological defense mechanisms, personality structure);
• Medical ethics (specifics of ethical issues in psychiatry);
• Epidemiology (incidence of mental and behavioral disorders, prevalence, types of research);
• Public health (risk factors, types of prevention, health promotion opportunities);
• Basics of clinical care of patients (deontology, iatrogenicity, patient interview, examination methods);
• Pharmacology (antidepressants, mood stabilizers, tranquilizers, antipsychotics);
• Basic principles of psychotherapy (help in crisis situations, support, cognitive behavioral, psychodynamic, group and family therapies);
• Rehabilitation; Social care;
• Psychiatry and narcology.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge

Is able to explain the organization and operation of the psychiatric care service, ethical and legal principles of its operation, the role of social work in psychiatry. Understands social psychiatry. Describe how the prevention of mental illness can be ensured, how social conditions and the social environment can affect mental health, describes the relationship of social conditions with the prevalence, occurrence, clinical manifestations and development of mental disorders.

Skills

As a result of the study course students will be able to identify the risk factors of the client's mental health disorders, will be able to identify social problems for each nosological form of mental disorders, will be able to support, improve and promote the social functioning of the client and his family members; will be able to provide help and support to the client to solve social problems; will be able to plan and carry out social work activities at the community level; will be able to evaluate and identify the compliance of the environment with the client's needs and promote the person's interaction with the social environment by improving interpersonal support systems.

Competence

Using the acquired knowledge and competencies, students will be able to identify, define, analyze and solve social and mental problems, will be able to manage the problem-solving process and provide a social case. Will be able to plan, organize and manage social work with a mentally ill individual, family, group and community. Will be able to find alternative solutions to social problems and choose the appropriate strategy in cooperation with a client with mental disorders.

Study course planning

Planning period:Year 2024, Autumn semester
Study programmeStudy semesterProgram levelStudy course categoryLecturersSchedule
Social work, SDNMp3Master’sLimited choice
Social work, SDNM3Master’sLimited choice