Introduction

Mental health involves a person’s emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing, thereby affecting the way we think, feel and act. The World Health Organisation (WHO) cautioned that depression is currently the leading cause of ill health and disability worldwide. As a sequel of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been mentioned that a second ‘pandemic’ is emerging in the form of unprecedented mental illness.

The National Alliance of Mental Health (NAMI) estimates that in the USA, 1 in 5 adults experience some form of mental illness, while 1 in 20 experience a debilitating mental illness. Furthermore, 1 in 15 people experience both a substance use disorder and mental illness. Suicide is often swept under the carpet and not talked about, but statistics reveal that suicide is the second leading cause of death for people aged 10-23.

Statistics in South Africa are outdated, however medical staff can attest to the fact that our country carries a disproportionate burden of mental illness. In a move to ensure holistic patient care, it is imperative to improve the provision of comprehensive mental healthcare services at all levels of the healthcare system, from primary care to tertiary care levels. Establishing equitable and accessible mental healthcare services, is therefore critical.

This short course will enable mental healthcare providers to step up to the task, ensuring that we collectively create an environment in which healthcare professionals are not only knowledgeable but also compassionate towards patients with mental illness.

Who Should Enrol

Medical doctors and Professional nurses

Course Design

Interactive virtual workshop with expert facilitators. Students will also be granted access to our online portal to engage with the material and assessments.

Course Content

The following modules are included in this course:

  1. Depression
  2. Psychosis
  3. Child and adolescent mental and behavioural disorders
  4. Dementia
  5. Disorders due to substance use
  6. Self- Harm/ Suicide

Learning Outcomes

Once you have completed all the learning activities for this course, you should be able to:

  • Create an environment that facilitates open communication for users of mental healthcare services and their caregivers.
  • Conduct a comprehensive MNS assessment.
  • Modify treatment plans for special populations.
  • Promote the respect and dignity of mental healthcare users.
  • Identify and actively screen for MNS conditions during each patient encounter.
  • Apply sensitivity and patient-centredness when patients disclose difficult experiences (e.g. sexual assault, violence or self-harm).

Assessment

Participants will be assessed on the self-study component of the course through means of a multichoice questionnaire after each module and a cumulative average of 70% is required to pass.

Accreditation

Accredited according to the HPCSA’s Medical and Dental Board Guidelines for Healthcare Professionals for 19 Clinical CEUs on Level 2.

Certification

To qualify for a certificate of completion for this short course, participants should fully attend the workshop and successfully complete the assessment process.

Sponsorship

This short course in the Clinical Management of Mental Health is fully sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

This course was supported by Cooperative Agreement Number GH002393-01 from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Health and Human Services, or the U.S. government.

Contact

Tel: 087 821 1109 or 012 110 4080 | Fax: 086 550 3692
Email: healthscience@foundation.co.za | www.foundation.co.za




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