4.7
stars
484 ratings

Charmaine Williams

47,519 already enrolled

Offered By

The Social Context of Mental Health and Illness

University of Toronto

About this Course

33,758 recent views

Learn how social factors promote mental health, influence the onset and course of mental illness, and affect how mental illnesses are diagnosed and treated.
This course explores how our understanding of mental health and illness has been influenced by social attitudes and social developments in North America and around the world. The course begins by situating our contemporary mental health practices in historical context, then looks at different aspects of mental health, mental illness and mental health services and their connections to what’s going on in our social environment.

Flexible deadlines

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Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

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Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

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Approx. 14 hours to complete

English

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Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

Learn more about Coursera Labs

Approx. 14 hours to complete

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

Instructor

Instructor rating

4.87/5 (197 Ratings)

Charmaine Williams

Associate Professor

Faculty of Social Work

47,519 Learners

1 Course

Offered by

University of Toronto

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Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating98%(5,425 ratings)

Week1

Week 1

3 hours to complete

Welcome and A Brief History of Madness

3 hours to complete

11 videos (Total 120 min), 2 readings, 1 quiz

11 videos

Welcome to the course!2m1.0 Introduction 7m1.1 Visiting the asylum 9m1.2 Why the asylum? 20m1.3 20th century mental health care 14m1.4 Antipsychiatry 12m1.5 Deinstitutionalization 15m1.6 Community-based mental health care 15m1.7 Recovery and mental health 11m1.8 Conclusion 4mBonus material: An introduction to author Caroline Fei-Yeng Kwok 6m

2 readings

Course Information10mReadings and Resources10m

Week2

Week 2

2 hours to complete

What is mental health and what causes mental illness?

2 hours to complete

8 videos (Total 77 min), 1 reading

Week3

Week 3

4 hours to complete

The social context of diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses

4 hours to complete

9 videos (Total 105 min), 1 reading, 2 quizzes

9 videos

3.0 Introduction to lecture 3 8m3.1 Demystifying the DSM 15m3.2 Diagnosis as a series of social events 15m3.3 Diagnosis: An example of the role of social context 17m3.4a The social context of treatment options 12m3.4b The social context of treatment options part 2 9m3.5 The social context of treatment access 11m3.6 Conclusion 3mFrom summer 2014: what's with the DSM?12m

1 reading

Readings and Resources10m

1 practice exercise

Extra-credit quiz30m

Week4

Week 4

2 hours to complete

Culture, mental health and mental illness

2 hours to complete

8 videos (Total 76 min), 1 reading

Reviews

4.7

179 reviews

5 stars
79.58%
4 stars
14.63%
3 stars
2.68%
2 stars
1.44%
1 star
1.64%

TOP REVIEWS FROM THE SOCIAL CONTEXT OF MENTAL HEALTH AND ILLNESS

by NJDec 10, 2019

An excellent course which can cater to all kinds of learners who are interested in mental health and its evolution over time along with the impact of society on mental health.

by TTOct 25, 2017

Facilitator is very engaging and brings the subject to life. Will definitely recommend to anyone with any remote interest in mental hea

by PRDec 15, 2019

Charmaine Williams is a natural communicator and the course material is varied and detailed, however, I would prefer less video and more texts material.

by AWSep 27, 2020

A very enlightening course. This opened my eyes a lot more to what Mental health is all about and how patients with diverse mental illness struggle through their journey to healing and recovery.

View all reviews

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I purchase the Certificate?
When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.

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The Social Context of Mental Health and Illness

The Social Context of Mental Health and Illness

About this Course