EVIDENCE BASED TREATMENT OF COMMON MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS - 2023/4

Module code: PSYM127

Module Overview

This module provides trainee PWPs with an opportunity to develop their knowledge and competencies with regards to treating patients presenting with common mental health difficulties using a range of low intensity cognitive behavioural based interventions. Trainees will be encouraged to critically engage with the literature that informs their practice and to use this to develop their work. Trainee PWPs will be supported in this process through a combination of university based learning opportunities combined with supervised in-service clinical practice and directed independent study. 

Module provider

Psychology

Module Leader

FISHER-SMITH Emily (Psychology)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Overall student workload

Independent Learning Hours: 54

Lecture Hours: 27.5

Tutorial Hours: 1

Practical/Performance Hours: 30

Guided Learning: 37.5

Module Availability

Year long

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

  • An undergraduate degree with a minimum 2:1 classification or equivalent
  • Relevant mental health work experience (voluntary or paid) as assessed at interview and based on the potential trainee’s application form
  • Employment within an IAPT service that is able to meet the course training requirements

Module content

Indicative content includes:


  • CBT based interventions

  • Risk management

  • Common factor skills

  • Clinical and case management supervision

  • Stepped care


Assessment pattern

Assessment type Unit of assessment Weighting
Online Scheduled Summative Class Test 4 HOUR (OPEN BOOK) ONLINE TEST 100
Practical based assessment AUDIO RECORDING OF A LIVE TREATMENT SESSION ASSESSED ACCORDING TO PREDEFINED CRITERIA Pass/Fail

Alternative Assessment

None.

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and practice in undertaking patient centred treatments. Both assessments must be passed in order to pass the module. Graded assessments will be marked at FHEQ level 7 and have a pass mark of 50% and pass on pass-fail assigments. 

Formative assessment

Ongoing written and / or verbal feedback provided by course tutors and / or supervisors from IAPT mental health services. Trainees will undertake an observed treatment session on which they are given feedback from their observer. The observer will be a course tutor and / or a qualified professional e.g. PWP / PWP supervisor. Trainees will also have the opportunity to explore a mock exam and to discuss this in groups. Trainees are able to request further one-to-one practice / support from their tutor or other course tutor as required both before and after (in the case of a failed first attempt) their examination.

Feedback

Written feedback is provided to students via SurreyLearn.

Module aims

  • To equip trainee PWPs with the knowledge and skills that they require to provide therapeutic support and management to individuals and groups of patients who are experiencing common mental health difficulties as well as their families, friends and carers.
  • To develop trainee PWPs general and disorder-defined ‘specific factor’ competencies in the delivery of low intensity cognitive behavioural interventions. This includes, but is not limited to, behavioural activation, exposure, cognitive restructuring, panic management, problem solving, CBT-informed sleep management, and computerised cognitive behavioural therapy (cCBT) packages as well as supporting physical exercise and medication adherence.
  • To equip trainee PWPs with an understanding of, and an ability to apply, the COM-B model to promote psychological wellbeing.
  • To enable trainee PWPs to be able to work in a variety of contexts such as one-to-one, group, telephone and e-mail.T

Learning outcomes

Attributes Developed
001 Critically evaluate a range of evidence-based interventions and strategies to assist patients manage their emotional distress and disturbance. KC
002 Demonstrate knowledge of, and competence in developing and maintaining a therapeutic alliance with patients during their treatment programme, including dealing with issues and events that threaten the alliance. KCPT
003 Demonstrate competence in planning a collaborative low-intensity psychological or pharmacological treatment programme for common mental health problems, including managing the ending of contact. KCPT
004 Demonstrate in-depth understanding of, and competence in the use of, a range of low-intensity, evidence-based psychological interventions for common mental health problems. KP
005 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of, and competence in using behaviour change models and strategies in the delivery of low-intensity interventions. KCP
006 Critically evaluate the role of case management and stepped care approaches to managing common mental health problems in primary care including ongoing risk management appropriate to service protocols. KCP
007 Demonstrate knowledge of, and competence in supporting people with medication for common mental disorders to help them optimise their use of pharmacological treatment and minimise any adverse effects. KCPT
008 Demonstrate competency in delivering low-intensity interventions using a range of methods including face-to-face, telephone and electronic communication. KPT
009 Demonstrates experience and competence in the selection and delivery of treatment of a range of presenting problems using evidence based low intensity interventions across a range of problem descriptor including depression and two or more anxiety disorders. KCP
010 Demonstrates the ability to use common factor competencies to manage emotional distress and maintain therapeutic alliances to support patients using low-intensity interventions. PT
011 Demonstrates high quality case recording and systematic evaluation of the process and outcomes of mental health interventions, adapting care on the basis of these evaluations. PT

Attributes Developed

C - Cognitive/analytical

K - Subject knowledge

T - Transferable skills

P - Professional/Practical skills

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:

Enable trainee PWPs to develop and demonstrate their knowledge and competence in undertaking collaborative patient centred treatments.

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: PSYM127

Other information

This module is only available to students undertaking the Advanced Practice in Psychological Wellbeing PG Cert.

Programmes this module appears in

Programme Semester Classification Qualifying conditions
Advanced Practice in Psychological Wellbeing PGCert(CORE) Year-long Core Each unit of assessment must be passed at 50% to pass the module

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2023/4 academic year.