92876 Therapeutic Interventions in Mental Health Care

Subject level: Postgraduate

Handbook description

This subject provides students with the opportunity to expand their knowledge, understanding, and ability to utilise a specified range of therapeutic interventions in mental health care. These interventions include early intervention methodologies, a comprehensive exploration of cognitive and dialectical behaviour therapies, and how the student can apply these approaches to a range of mental illnesses/disorders across a range of settings (including drug and alcohol, child and adolescent, adult, and aged care mental health). This subject also provides students with the opportunity to explore a range of somatic therapies and their impact on mental health care, including electro-convulsive therapy and updates on therapies for substance dependence and psychopharmacology utilised in Australia and internationally. The subject reviews developments in the implementation and use of comprehensive assessments and outcome measures, combined with application of evidence-based quality of care indicators and critical examination of their relevance to the delivery of mental health care. When reviewing understandings of mental distress and illness, students incorporate consumer participation approaches and collaborations with the family and community. When appropriate, students are encouraged to work together to explore therapies relevant to their clinical settings.

Subject objectives/outcomes

On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:

1. critically review recent and accumulated findings regarding the biological bases of mental distress and treatment, and the implication for mental health nursing practice and research
2. integrate social, cultural, psychological and physiological theories into their understandings about mental illness, treatment and therapies, and a person's experience of mental distress
3. evaluate the evidence supporting specific psychotherapeutic modalities in relation to other possible modes of intervention
4. engage in the practice of a range of therapeutic interventions used in mental health nursing practice with the individual, groups and families in a variety of health care contexts.
5. explore at least one therapeutic modality in depth.

Content

• Relationship between neurophysiological and other interpersonal and/or sociocultural understandings about mental illness and health.
• Neurophysiological and behavioural consequences of somatic therapies.
• Comparative analysis and evaluation of the evidence for the effectiveness of various somatic and psychotherapeutic approaches to the treatment of specific disorders of mental health.
• The theoretical underpinnings, rationales and the relevant circumstances for a range of selected and current psychotherapeutic interventions used with a variety of client groups and the possible roles of the nurse in using such interventions.
• The processes and procedures for using or collaborating in the use of these therapies and interventions.
• Exploration of a range of alternative and complementary therapies, their use, and potential for use, in mental health care.
• Consideration of ways to collaborate with and incorporate consumer participation approaches with the family and community.
• Developments in research and evidence-based practice to determine the application of a range of therapeutic approaches.
• Critical examination of the relevance of a range of approaches to the delivery of mental health care in a diverse range of settings.