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Management of Mental Health Disorders in Primary Care Homepage

Welcome to the Management of Mental Health Disorders in Primary Care course. This course will reinforce your foundational, theoretical, and practical knowledge about the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental health disorders. In addition, students will learn how to improve referral protocols and respond to psychiatric emergencies according to the Mental Health Act (MHA) while also learning about mental health promotion strategies for common mental health disorders in primary care settings. This course also gives insight into mental health disturbances related to substance use disorders, including diagnostic criteria and available treatment options. It provides students with the basic skills needed to effectively contribute to the delivery and quality of healthcare for individuals and populations worldwide regarding the management and treatment of common mental health disorders in primary care settings.

This  Management of Mental Health Disorders in Primary Care course uses learning resources from accredited, world-class organizations and governmental organizations such as the American Psychiatric Association’s DSM -5, and the World Health Organization (WHO).

This course was originally developed by the FDP - School of Health Sciences. The course was redesigned by Genikka Camille Gabral, B.ED, MSc; Hugo Andres Rojas Aldieri, MD, MSc; Jean Pierre Musabyimana, MSc, MGHD; Magali Collonnaz, MD, MPH, MSc; Pablo Baldiviezo Rodriguez, MD; Reisha Narine, M.Sc., B.Sc.; Sherian Bachan, M.Sc., B.Sc; Seema Persaud, M.Sc., B.Sc.; Sara Wildman, B.Sc.; and Rhonda Prudent, B.Sc.

For publications on NextGenU.org’s courses’ efficacy, see NextGenU.org’s publication page. Subscribe to our newsletter to be notified of future updates and new courses and to be part of our community. 

There are 11 modules to complete, which provide an introduction to: 

1. Introduction to Psychiatry: Interviews, Symptoms, Classification of Diseases, and Common Medication
2. Ethical Considerations
3. Mood Disorders
4. Anxiety Disorders, Conduct Disorders and Eating Disorders
5. Somatic Symptom Disorders
6. Psychotic Disorders and Personality Disorder
7. Neuropsychiatric and Neurocognitive Disorders
8. Addiction-Related Disorders
9. Psychiatric Disorders in Elderly and Children
10.  Emergencies in Psychiatric
11.  Mental Health Promotion

The completion time for this course is estimated at 97 hours, comprising 18 hours of learning resources, 36 hours to study content and assimilation, and 43 hours of participating in learning activities and quizzes, to assist the learners in the synthesis of learning materials. This course is equivalent to 2 credit hours.

This course requires the completion of all peer activities. At the end of each module, there is a practice quiz of 10 multiple-choice questions. After you’ve completed each lesson, quiz, and learning activity, at the end of the course, you’ll have access to a final exam consisting of 40 multiple-choice questions and a chance to evaluate this course. Participants have up to three opportunities to take the final exam and achieve the required score of >=70%. Once you’ve passed that last test, you will be able to download a certificate of completion from NextGenU.org and our course’s co-sponsoring organizations. We keep your personal information confidential, never sell any of your information, and only use anonymized data for research purposes. Also, we are happy to report your testing information and share your work with anyone (your school, employer, etc.) at your request. 

Engaging with this course:

This free course is intended for primary health workers, nurses, medical students, and other health professionals who would like to learn the diagnosis, management, and treatment of mental health disorders in primary care settings.

To obtain a certificate, a learner must first register for the course and then successfully complete:

• all the reading requirements;
• all quizzes and pass with a 70% with unlimited attempts;
• all peer activities;
• all discussion forums;
• the final exam with a minimum of 70% and a maximum of 3 attempts;
• the self and course evaluation forms.

To obtain credit:

• Complete all requirements listed above for the certificate, and
• Your learning institution or workplace should approve the partner-university-sponsored NextGenU.org course for educational credit, as they would for their learner taking a course anywhere.  

NextGenU.org is happy to provide your institution with:

• A link to and description of the course training so they can see all its components, including the co-sponsoring universities and other professional organization co-sponsors; 
• Your grade on the final exam;
• Your work products (e.g., case study activities) and any other required or optional shared materials that you produce and authorize to share with them;  
• Your evaluations -- course and self-assessments;
• A copy of your certificate of completion, with the co-sponsoring universities and other organizations listed.

To obtain a degree, NextGenU.org co-sponsors degree programs with institutional partners. To obtain a full degree co-sponsored with NextGenU.org, registrants must be enrolled in a degree program as a student of a NextGenU.org institutional partner. If you think your institution might be interested in offering a degree with NextGenU.org, contact us.

We hope you will find this a rewarding learning experience, and we count on your assessment and feedback to help us improve this training for future students.

Here are the next steps to take the course and earn a certificate.

• Complete the registration form.
• Take the pre-test.
• Begin the course with Module 1: Introduction to psychiatry: interviews, symptoms, classification of diseases, and common medication. In each lesson, read the description, complete all required readings and any required activity, as well as take the corresponding quizzes.

Module 1: Introduction to Psychiatry: Interviews, Symptoms, Classification of Diseases, and Common Medication

Competencies covered in this module:

• Recognize symptoms of mental illness in conducting a psychiatric interview.
• Classify and diagnose mental disorders in adults, adolescents, and children.
  
• Utilize information on psychiatric drugs to effectively treat mental illnesses.
  

Module 1: Lesson 1: The Psychiatric Interview

Student Learning Outcomes:

• Describe psychiatric interviewing.
  
• Describe the various phases of the psychiatric interview, including the elements of mental health examination, and additional investigative laboratory tests.
  
• Discuss how to apply various techniques of the psychiatric interview, including how to extract needed diagnostic information from difficult patients.
  
• Describe the role of empathy, active listening, and respect for privacy in the patient-physician relationship.
  

Click here to start this lesson

• The Patients' Practises Disclosing Subjective Experiences in the Psychiatric Intake Interview
• Chapter 1: The Psychiatric Interview
• A literature-based study of patient-centered care and communication in nurse-patient interactions: barriers, facilitators, and the way forward
• Protecting your privacy: Understanding confidentiality

Module 1: Lesson 2: Symptoms and Signs of Psychiatric Illness

Student Learning Outcomes:

• Describe behavioral and emotional signs and symptoms of psychiatric illness.
• Differentiate the levels of speech, thought, perception, and cognitive disturbances.
  

Click here to start this lesson

• Chapter 2: Symptoms and Signs of Psychiatric Illness

Module 1: Lesson 3: Classification in Psychiatry

Student Learning Outcomes:

• Explain DSM-V classification of classes or groups of conditions.
• Describe groups used to classify psychiatric conditions.
  
• Identify various rating scales to quantify aspects of a patient’s psyche, behavior, and relationships with individuals and society.
  

Click here to start this lesson

• Chapter 3: Classification in Psychiatry

• Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR)
• DSM-5 Fact Sheets

Module 1: Lesson 4: Prescribing Psychiatric Medications

Student Learning Outcomes:

• Define the principles associated with prescribing psychiatric medications.
• Discuss the risks and dangers of potentially inappropriate prescriptions to treat mental illnesses effectively.
  
• Describes the classification of psychiatric medications prescribed to treat common psychological and behavioral symptoms.
  

Click here to start this lesson

• Chapter 19: Prescribing Psychiatric Medications
• The Maudsley Prescribing Guidelines in Psychiatry
• Evaluating the Safety of Mental Health-Related Prescribing in UK Primary Care: a Cross-Sectional Study Using the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD)

• Quiz: Module 1

• Activity 1: Introduction to Psychiatric Interview (245 minutes)

Module 2: Ethical Considerations

Competencies covered in this module:

• Understand ethical considerations relevant to treatment and management of mental health.

Module 2: Lesson 1: Ethics in Mental Health

Student Learning Outcomes:

• Define the principles of foundations of professional ethics.
• Explain the principles for the protection of persons with mental illness and the improvement of mental health care.
  
• Describe the circumstances for emergency treatment without consent, assisted care and treatment, involuntary care, and treatment.
  
• Discuss the ethical implications of a breach of privacy and confidentiality in psychiatry.
  

Click here to start this lesson

• Chapter 21: Ethics in Mental Health
• Principles for the Protection of Persons with Mental Illness and the Improvement of Mental Health Care
• Consent to Treatment Mental Capacity and Mental Health Legislation

• Quiz: Module 2

• Discussion Forum 1: Ethics in Mental Health (245 minutes)

Module 3: Mood Disorders

Competencies covered in this module:

• Classify and diagnose mood disorders in adults, adolescents, and children.
• Utilize information on psychiatric drugs to effectively treat mood disorders.

Module 3: Lesson 1: Depressive and Bipolar Disorders

Student Learning Outcomes:

• Describe mood disorders, bipolar disorders, and other forms of depressive illness.
• Describe major depression/other forms of depressive illness through differential diagnosis.
  
• Discuss the management and treatment of depressive and bipolar disorders.
  

Click here to start this lesson

• Chapter 7: Depressive and Bipolar Disorders.
• Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Depression

• I had a Black Dog, His Name was Depression
• What is Bipolar Disorder? - Helen M. Farrell

• Quiz: Module 3

• Discussion Forum 2: Management and Treatment of Depression and Bipolar Disorders (245 minutes)

Module 4: Anxiety Disorders, Conduct Disorders and Eating Disorders

Competencies covered in this module:

• Classify and diagnose anxiety disorders in adults, adolescents, and children.
• Utilize information on psychiatric drugs to effectively treat anxiety disorders.
  
• Classify and diagnose conduct disorders in adults and children.
  
• Classify and diagnose eating disorders in adults, adolescents, and children.
• Utilize information on psychiatric drugs to effectively treat eating disorders.
  

Module 4: Lesson 1: Anxiety Disorders, Obsessive Compulsive and Related Disorders, and Trauma-and Stressor-Related Disorders

Student Learning Outcomes:

• Describe anxiety disorders and its classification.
• Differentiate various types of anxiety disorders and other related disorders such as panic disorder, agoraphobia, social anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic STRESS disorder (PTSD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and substance abuse anxiety disorder.
  
• Discuss the management and treatment of anxiety disorders and other related disorders.
  

Click here to start this lesson

• Chapter 8: Anxiety Disorders, Obsessive Compulsive and Related Disorders, and Trauma-and Stressor-Related Disorders
• Treatment of Anxiety Disorders

Module 4: Lesson 2: Disruptive, Impulse-control, and Conduct Disorders

Student Learning Outcomes:

• Define disruptive, impulsive-control, and conduct disorders.
• Differentiate the categories of disruptive, impulsive-control, and conduct disorders.
  

Click here to start this lesson

• Chapter 12: Disruptive, Impulse-Control, and Conduct Disorders
• Disruptive, Impulse-Control, and Conduct Disorders

Module 4: Lesson 3: Feeding and Eating Disorders

Student Learning Outcomes:

• Identify the characteristics of feeding and eating disorders.
  
• Discuss when and how to refer patients who are diagnosed with feeding/eating disorders to a specialist.
  

Click here to start this lesson

• Chapter 14: Feeding and Eating Disorders
• Evaluation of the Referral Process and Patterns to a Canadian Specialized Eating Disorders Treatment Program

• Quiz: Module 4

• Activity 2: Anxiety Disorders, Conduct Disorders and Eating Disorders (230 minutes)

Module 5: Somatic Symptom Disorders

Competencies covered in this module:

• Classify and diagnose somatic symptom disorders in adults, adolescents, and children.
• Utilize information on psychiatric drugs to effectively treat somatic symptom disorders.

Module 5: Lesson 1: Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders

Student Learning Outcomes:

• Describe somatic symptom disorder and other related disorders in terms of their clinical features.
• Describe the diagnostic criteria for somatic symptom disorder.
  
• Discuss when and how to refer patients who are diagnosed with somatic disorders to a specialist.
  

Click here to start this lesson

• Chapter 10: Somatic Symptoms and Related Disorders.
• DSM 5 Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders
• Somatization: When to Refer to a Psychiatrist

• Somatic Symptom Disorder - Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, Pathology

• Quiz: Module 5

• Discussion Forum 3: Somatic Disorder Referrals (170 minutes)

Module 6: Psychotic Disorders and Personality Disorders

Competencies covered in this module:

• Classify and diagnose psychotic disorders in adults, adolescents, and children.
• Utilize information on psychiatric drugs to effectively treat psychotic disorders.
  
• Classify and diagnose personality disorders in adults, adolescents, and children.
• Utilize information on psychiatric drugs to effectively treat personality disorders.

Module 6: Lesson 1: Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders

Student Learning Outcomes:

• Describe schizophrenia as a mental health disorder and its diagnosis thereof.
• Discuss treatment and management of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders as well as admission care and treatment of assisted/ involuntary mental health users.

Click here to start this lesson

• Chapter 6: Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders.
• Module 12: Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders
• Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders

Module 6: Lesson 2: Personality Disorders

Student Learning Outcomes:

• Identify classification of personality disorders.
  
• Describe clusters of personality disorders and its clinical presentation thereof.
  
• Discuss how personality disorders are managed and treated.
  

Click here to start this lesson

• Chapter 9: Personality Disorders
• Personality Disorder
• Module 13: Personality Disorders

Module 6: Lesson 3: Dissociative Disorders

Student Learning Outcomes:

• Describe dissociative disorders in terms of its clinical features.
• Differentiate between various dissociative disorders.
  
• Discuss the management and treatment of dissociative disorders.
  

Click here to start this lesson

• Chapter 11: Dissociative Disorders
• Psychological Interventions for Dissociative Disorders

• Activity 2: Dissociative Disorders

• Quiz: Module 6

• Activity 3: Psychotic Disorders and Personality Disorders (230 minutes)

Module 7: Neuropsychiatric and Neurocognitive Disorders

Competencies covered in this module:

• Classify and diagnose neurocognitive disorders in adults, adolescents, and children.
• Utilize information on psychiatric drugs to effectively treat neurocognitive disorders.
• Classify and diagnose neuropsychiatric disorders in adults, adolescents, and children.
• Utilize information on psychiatric drugs to effectively treat neuropsychiatric disorders.

Module 7: Lesson 1: Neurocognitive Disorders

Student Learning Outcomes:

• Classify neurocognitive disorders (delirium and dementia).
  
• Describe risk factors and clinical features of neurocognitive disorders.
  
• Discuss how to evaluate cognitive function of a patient and how to treat neurocognitive disorders.
  

Click here to start this lesson

• Chapter 4: Neurocognitive Disorders
• Vascular Neurocognitive Disorders and the Vascular Risk Factors
• Module 14: Neurocognitive Disorders
• Cognitive Screening and Assessment

• Mini-Mental State Examination-MMSE

Module 7: Lesson 2: Neuropsychiatric Aspects of HIV/AIDS

Student Learning Outcomes:

• Define neuropsychiatric aspects of HIV/AIDS.
  
• Discuss medical treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders associated with HIV/AIDS.
  
• Identify drug interactions between HAART and psychiatric medication.
  

Click here to start this lesson

• Chapter 5: Neuropsychiatric Aspects of Human Immune Deficiency Virus (HIV) Infection and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
• HIV Infection and Its Psychiatric Manifestations: A Clinical Overview
• Drug Interactions with Antiretroviral Medications

• Quiz: Module 7

• Activity 4: Neuropsychiatric and Neurocognitive Disorders (230 minutes)

Module 8: Addiction-related Disorders

Competencies covered in this module:

• Classify and diagnose addiction-related disorders in adults, adolescents, and children.
• Utilize information on psychiatric drugs to effectively treat addiction-related disorders.

Module 8: Lesson 1: Substance-related and Addictive Disorders

• Chapter 13: Substance-related and Addictive Disorders.
• Treating Mental Health Disorders in Primary Care
• What is addiction?
• DSM 5 Substance Related and Addictive Disorders

• Quiz: Module 8

• Discussion Forum 4: Diagnosis and Treatment of Addiction-Related Disorders (200 minutes)

Module 9: Psychiatric Disorders in Elderly and Children

Competencies covered in this module:

• Classify and diagnose psychiatric disorders related to geriatric patients.
• Utilize information on psychiatric drugs to effectively treat geriatric patients with psychiatric disorders.
• Classify and diagnose psychiatric disorders in children.
• Utilize information on psychiatric drugs to effectively treat psychiatric disorders in children.
• Classify and diagnose Autism Spectrum Disorders in children.
• Recognize the needs and management principles for Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Module 9: Lesson 1: Geriatric Psychiatry

Student Learning Outcomes:

• Identify the most common psychiatric disorders associated with geriatric patients.
  
• Describe guidelines to follow when treating geriatric patients
  

Click here to start this lesson

• Chapter 15: Geriatric Psychiatry
• Clinical Practice Guidelines for Management of Depression in Elderly
• Mental Health of Older Adults

Module 9: Lesson 2: Depressive, Bipolar and Attention-deficit/ Hyperactive Disorders and Suicidality in Youth [Children and Adolescents]

Student Learning Outcomes:

• Describe depressive, bipolar, and attention deficit/hyperactive disorders, suicidality in children, its clinical features, and its risk factors.
• Describe the management and treatment of depressive, bipolar, and attention/hyperactive disorders in children.
  
• Design a plan to facilitate safety and support for youth diagnosed with psychiatric disorders leading to suicidality.
  

Click here to start this lesson

• Chapter 16: Depressive, Bipolar, and Attention-deficit/ Hyperactive Disorders in Children.
• Treating Mental Health Disorders in Primary Care

Module 9: Lesson 3: Autism Spectrum Disorders and Adolescent and Child Psychiatry

Student Learning Outcomes:

• Identify the clinical features that will raise suspicion for ASD diagnosis and the common comorbidities associated with ASD.
• Discuss the needs and management principles of children and families with a diagnosis of ASD.

Click here to start this lesson

• Chapter 22: Autism Spectrum Disorders and Adolescent and Child Psychiatry
• Identification, Evaluation, and Management of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

• Quiz: Module 9

• Discussion Forum 5: Management of Children with ASD (200 minutes)

Module 10: Emergencies in Psychiatry

Competencies covered in this module:

• Manage psychiatric emergencies in compliance with the MHA.
  

Module 10: Lesson 1: Psychiatric Emergencies

Student Learning Outcomes:

• Define psychiatric emergencies.
• Identify common psychiatric conditions which may constitute emergencies.
  
• Describe the strategies involved in the evaluation and management of patients experiencing psychiatric emergencies.
  

Click here to start this lesson

• Chapter 17: Psychiatric Emergencies
• Psychiatric Emergencies: Assessing and Managing Suicidal Ideation

• Activity 5: Psychiatric Emergencies (230 minutes)

Module 10: Lesson 2: Suicide

• Chapter 18: Suicide
• Strategies for Managing Suicidal Ideation and Reducing Risk

• Quiz: Module 10

• Activity 6: Program Proposal for Suicide Prevention of the Youth (260 minutes)

Module 11: Mental Health Promotion

Competencies covered in this module:

• Introduce mental health promoting strategies.
  

Module 11: Lesson 1: Mental Health Promotion in National Policies

Student Learning Outcomes:

• Describe the significance of policy in mental health promotion.
• Identify examples of mental health-promoting strategies and initiatives that are already included in national health policies.
  
• Explain how mental health-promoting strategies can be included in national health policies.
  

Approximate time required to complete the readings (at 144 words/minute) and assignments for this module: 3 hours and 3 minutes.

Click here to start this lesson

• Mental Health Promotion Guideline, 2018
• Policy Development and Challenges of Global Mental Health: a Systematic Review of Published Studies of National-level Mental Health Policies
• Joint Action on Mental Health and Well-being Situation Analysis and Recommendations for Action

• Community, Public Policy, and Recovery from Mental Illness: Emerging Research and Initiatives

Module 11: Lesson 2: Mental Health Promotion in Different Settings

Student Learning Outcomes:

• Describe how mental health-promoting strategies can be implemented in different settings such as homes, schools, and workplaces.
• Explain how the implementation of mental health promoting strategies in these settings create supportive environments where individuals can develop personal skills (coping skills, resilience...)
  
• Discuss strategies that an individual can apply on their own to promote mental health such as well-being exercises.
  

Approximate time required to complete the readings (at 144 words/minute) and assignments for this module:  7 hours.

Click here to start this lesson

• Stress and Coping
• A Healthy Workforce for a Better World
• Mental Health Promotion in Schools
• 5 Steps to Mental Wellbeing
• Prevention and Mental Health

• Quiz: Module 11

• Activity 7: Strengthening Mental Health Promotion (230 minutes)

Final Exam

• Final Exam

Course and Self Evaluation & Certificate

In this section, you can provide feedback about this course to help us make NextGenU.org better. Once evaluations are completed, you will be able to download your certificate of completion.

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• Course Evaluation
• Self Evaluation

Course Activities