PMADDMHE - MSc Addiction and Mental Health

MSc Addiction and Mental Health provides a specialist training course designed to enable students to gain a comprehensive and thorough understanding of key concepts and topics linked to addiction, mental health, and their inter-relationship. The course critically examines theoretical and clinical explanations of the links between mental health and addiction, providing an integrated understanding of its how addictions develop, their core symptoms and manifestations, and how they can be treated. Students will develop their ability to critically discuss and evaluate theoretical models and empirical research on the causes of mental health problems and the efficacy of different treatment methods. This multidisciplinary approach allows students to develop their insight and understanding of a broad range of issues related to mental health and addictions and equips them with core professional skills to facilitate their progression to occupations in different settings, including mental health and addiction services, social or healthcare services, clinical practice and support, education, and research. The knowledge and skills developed throughout the course also provides a firm foundation for progression to graduate researcher roles and Doctoral training programmes, for example, in clinical or counselling psychology.

The MSc Addiction and Mental Health programme provides an integrated programme that enables students to:

• Develop a broad and thorough understanding of core concepts and approaches in the field of addiction and mental health.
• Critically engage with theories of addiction and mental health drawing on a range of perspectives (including biological, cognitive, and socio-cultural perspectives).
• Critically discuss a range of theoretical, practical, and policy related issues and their implications for addiction and mental health services and service users.
• Understand diagnostic and treatment methods for a range of addictions and psychopathologies, including their efficacy and evidence base.
• acquire an understanding of how research methods can be applied to pursue empirical enquiry linked to addiction and mental health.
• conduct supervised independent research linked to addiction and mental health in line with the principles of open science.
• promote students’ self-management of the learning process with a view to future training, employment, and continuing professional development.
• develop students’ confidence and ability to challenge established psychological knowledge and practices.
• allow students from diverse backgrounds to develop the knowledge and skills to transform their lives and make meaningful contributions to their communities.
• prepare students for further advanced training programmes and employment in different professions.

On successful completion of this course students will be able to:

1. be able to demonstrate a comprehensive and critical understanding of a range of theoretical and clinical models of addiction and mental health and their inter-relationship.
2. demonstrate understanding of a range of theoretical, practical, and policy related issues and their implications for the addiction and mental health services and service users.
3. demonstrate understanding of clinical interventions and treatments applied by psychologists and mental health professionals in the treatment of addictions.
4. demonstrate understanding of the empirical basis of psychological knowledge and practice as it relates to addiction and mental health.
5. apply a range of research methods and techniques to investigate research questions and test hypotheses of relevance to the addiction and mental health.
6. conduct supervised independent research linked to addiction and mental health in line with the principles of open science.
7. exercise initiative and personal responsibility, including decision-making in complex and unpredictable situations.
8. critically evaluate arguments, assumptions, and data to make evidence-based judgements.
9. communicate information, ideas, and both problems and solutions to specialist and non-specialist audiences through different modalities.
10. demonstrate confidence, resilience, ambition, and creativity and become inclusive, ethical, and socially responsible professionals in their chosen careers.

QAA benchmark statement for psychology:
https://www.qaa.ac.uk/docs/qaa/subject-benchmark-statements/subject-benchmark-statement-psychology.pdf?sfvrsn=6935c881_13

A range of inclusive and anticipatory methods are used to assess learning, including essays, case formulations, oral and technology mediated presentations, and data analysis exercises. All summative assessments are preceded by an appropriate formative assessment and constructive feedback, and students are supported through the course by psychology academic mentors.

For the award of MSc Addiction and Mental Health students must complete PY7123 and PY7163 before they can take PY7PA6.

Part time students can select a structure that best meets their needs but PY7123 and PY7163 must be completed before a student can start PY7PA6.

PG Certificate in Addiction and Mental Health
60 credits from any combination of modules except PY7PA6
PG Diploma in Addiction and Mental Health
120 credits from all modules except PY7PA6

The teaching, learning and assessment strategy is designed to enable students from diverse backgrounds to develop and demonstrate competence on a range of professional, clinical, and transferable skills. Experiential and reflective learning methods are used develop and enhance the knowledge and practitioner skills required for a successful career in occupations related to addiction and mental health. This is actively supported throughout the course in lectures, seminars, interactive workshops, laboratory sessions, and guided independent learning. The emphasis on reflective and experiential learning helps to prepare students to progress to and excel in postgraduate training or employment in different professional contexts. A range of inclusive and anticipatory methods are used to assess learning, including essays, case formulations, oral and technology mediated presentations, and data analysis exercises. All summative assessments are preceded by an appropriate formative assessment and constructive feedback, and students are supported through the course by psychology academic mentors. Students are encouraged to reflect upon and discuss how the knowledge and skills developed within each module and the programme as a whole can be applied to a wide range of settings and to align this information with their immediate and longer-term career plans.

Successful completion of this course provides graduates with a firm foundation for progression to employment a range of settings, including mental health and addiction services, social services, health and social care, and both education and research. The knowledge and skills developed throughout the course also provides a firm foundation for progressing to Doctoral training programmes, for example, in clinical or counselling psychology.

Completing this master’s degree will help you identify and pursue a career that’s important to you.

Our programme of studies will strengthen pathways toward a career as an addictions practitioner or a career in research studying addictive behaviours. Many of our graduates have found that their studies help them enter a range of careers, including clinical psychology, social work and para-medical disciplines.

Alternatively, you may already work in addiction services and therefore this course aims to strengthen your career progression.

You will be required to have:

• a minimum of a lower second-class (2.2) honours degree in social sciences, health, education or human sciences.

Graduates from other disciplines who have extensive relevant work experience will be considered on an individual basis.