Course introduction - Dr. Mahesh Jayaram

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From the course by The University of Melbourne

Foundations of International Psychiatry

16 ratings

The University of Melbourne

Foundations of International Psychiatry

16 ratings

What are some of the skills required when interviewing patients? What information is required when taking a patient history or completing a mental state examination? These are just some of the questions you'll seek answers to as you work through the course material. Mental health is an important public issue across the world, and the role of the psychiatrist is crucial in helping to address these. This course aims to give you a more nuanced understanding of the role of a psychiatrist, developing clinical skills and therapeutic relationships. Understanding the impact of mental illness in society and ethics in medicine are some of the key themes central to this course. This course is designed to provide essential background knowledge and practical skills that apply to any mental health clinical setting.

From the lesson

Course introduction & communication

Welcome to The University of Melbourne Massive Open Online Course in International Psychiatry. This course has been designed to provide essential background knowledge and practical skills for health professionals working with mentally unwell patients. In this first week of the course, you will learn about the importance of good communication skills. Working effectively and collaboratively with patients is the goal of every mental health professional. This can often be challenging for practitioners, especially when patients are very unwell or reluctant to seek help. Good communication skills are essential to engage patients and families, and to build therapeutic relationships with our clients. In this module we will look at skills and concepts that come in useful when interviewing patients.

Course introduction - Dr. Mahesh Jayaram3:33

Meet the Instructors

Greg Shields
Dr.
Department of Psychiatry
Mahesh Jayaram
Dr
Department of Psychiatry

[MUSIC]

Mental illness can affect nearly one in four people in the world.

According to the World Health Organization,

many countries have no mental health policy or program

and even in those that do, there is an acute shortage of resources.

Yet, mental illness can occur anywhere and to anyone.

[MUSIC]

Popular media has portrayed psychiatrists as working in glamorous offices within

quiet wood panelled consulting rooms.

The reality however,

is that psychiatrists are found practicing around the world in a variety of settings,

such as busy emergency departments,

acute inpatient wards, in community teams, or visiting patients at home.

And sometimes, in remote locations, perhaps even under a tree.

Hello, I'm Dr. Mahesh Jayaram,

a senior lecturer in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Melbourne.

Welcome to our course on The Foundations of International Psychiatry.

I would like to explain to you what this course is all about.

Mental health is an important public issue across the world and

the role of the psychiatrist is crucial in helping to address these.

This course aims to give you a more nuanced understanding of the role of

a psychiatrist, developing clinical skills and therapeutic relationships,

understanding the impact of mental illness in society and

ethics in medicine are some of the key themes central to this course.

What are some of the skills required when interviewing patients?

What information is required when taking a patient history or

completing a mental state examination?

These are just some of the questions you'll seek answers to

as you work through the course material.

The modules in this course have been designed for health care professionals who

are working with patients who have mental health difficulties

and for those planning to undertake further studies in this vitally

important but exciting field of mental health.

This course will also be of interest to medical and

nursing students planning on working in this field in future.

This course is designed to provide essential background knowledge and

practical skills that apply to any mental health clinical setting.

It is not, however, a formal qualification on its own.

It is a unique course that has been developed by a team

of international experts who have

drawn upon their vast experience to design this course curriculum.

We hope that this learning experience will inspire more medical professionals

to pursue further specialist studies in psychiatry and mental health by exploring

our other courses offered in this field through the University of Melbourne's

online International Certificate of Psychiatry, the Graduate Diploma of

International Psychiatry, or the Master of Psychiatry program.

We hope that by completing the learning activities and

assessments in this course, you will get a sense of just how interesting and

diverse the role of a psychiatrist is.

The course will also give you an opportunity to ask questions and

interact with other like-minded students from around the world.

So once again, welcome to the course and

we look forward to guiding you on your learning journey.

Now it's time to get started, good luck.

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