PMCHADMH - MSc Child and Adolescent Mental Health

MSc Child and Adolescent Mental Health provides a specialist training course designed to enable students to gain a comprehensive and thorough understanding of key concepts and issues related to child and adolescent mental health, including social and cognitive child development, aetiology of child and adolescent mental health disorders, therapeutic interventions for emotional, behavioural and developmental disorders in children and young people, and mental health services. Students are supported in their learning by experienced clinicians, practitioners, and educators from diverse professional backgrounds. This multidisciplinary approach enables students to develop their insight and understanding of the topics covered in each module and equips them with range of clinical and practical skills essential for employment in different settings related to child and adolescent mental health. 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, counselling, and educational psychology.

The MSc Child and Adolescent 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 child and adolescent mental health.
• critically engage with theories of child and adolescent development 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 the child and adolescent mental health services and service users.
• develop a systematic understanding of a range of clinical interventions and therapeutic methods used by psychologists and mental health professionals in the treatment of mental health conditions in children and adolescents.
• understand the diagnostic and treatment methods for a range of 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 in areas related to child and adolescent 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 accredited postgraduate training programmes and employment in different professions and roles.

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 child and adolescent mental health.
2. demonstrate understanding of a range of practical and policy related issues and their implications for child and adolescent mental health services and service users.
3. demonstrate understanding of clinical interventions and therapeutic methods applied by psychologists and mental health professionals in the treatment of mental health conditions in children and adolescents.
4. demonstrate understanding of the empirical basis of psychological knowledge and practice as it relates to child and adolescent mental health.
5. apply a range of research methods and techniques to investigate research questions and test hypotheses of relevance to the child and adolescent mental health.
6. conduct supervised independent research in areas related to child and adolescent 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.

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

For the award of MSc Child and Adolescent 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 Child and Adolescent and Mental Health
60 credits from any combination of modules except PY7PA6
PG Diploma in Child and Adolescent 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 practical 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 child and adolescent 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 child and adolescent mental health services, social services, social work, and both education and research. The knowledge and skills developed in the course also provides a firm foundation for progressing to Doctoral training programmes, for example, in clinical, counselling and educational psychology.

Our Child and Adolescent Mental Health MSc will provide you with opportunities to enter or progress within a diverse range of occupations, including psychology, social work, nursing and teaching.

The course will also allow you to pursue further study in clinical and educational psychology.

You will be required to have:

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

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