Online Child and Adolescent Mental Health Course

Learn about signs, symptoms and treatments for child and adolescent mental health difficulties.

Mental Health is a major issue for people living in developed countries. It is difficult to estimate how many children and adolescents are affected by mental health conditions, but Australian statistics in 2007 estimated around 14% of children between 4 and 16 years old would be affected by a mental health condition at some point, and up to 45% for people over 16 years of age. It becomes important then, that people become educated about mental illness in children and adolescents, particularly because they may not be able to recognise that something isn't quite right.  This course is an excellent introduction into the nature and scope of mental health issues amongst children and adolescents. It highlights the signs and symptoms of some common mental health conditions, discusses their potential causes, and outlines possible treatment

There are 10 lessons in this course:

1. Nature and Scope of Mental Health – looking at difference between adult and child and adolescent mental health. What we mean by mental health? Mental wellness etc.
   • INTRODUCTION
   • UNDERSTANDING NORMAL CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT
   • GOOD MENTAL HEALTH
   • UNDERSTANDING CHILDHOOD MENTAL ILLNESS
   • PREVALENCE OF MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS
   • DIFFERENCES TO ADULT MENTAL HEALTH
   • AN INTRODUCTION TO THE MENTAL HEALTH INDUSTRY
2. Childhood Depression also how this changes when reach adolescence. signs and symptoms and treatments.
   • INTRODUCTION
   • TYPES OF DEPRESSION IN CHILDHOOD
   • DIAGNOSIS OF DEPRESSION IN CHILDREN
   • CAUSES OF CHILDHOOD DEPRESSION
   • ASSESSING RISK OF SUICIDE
3. Anxiety Disorders - separation, generalised etc. school phobias, social phobias etc. signs/symptoms/treatment
   • INTRODUCTION
   • SCOPE AND NATURE OF ANXIETY DISORDERS
   • DIFFERENT TYPES OF ANXIETY DISORDERS
   • CHILDHOOD ANXIETY DISORDERS
   • ADOLESCENT ANXIETY DISORDERS
   • OTHER ANXIETY RELATED PROBLEMS
4. Tic Disorders - Tourette's etc. signs/symptoms/treatment
   • INTRODUCTION TO TIC DISORDERS
   • TYPES OF TICS
   • GILLES DE LA TOURETTE SYNDROME (TOURETTE'S DISORDER)
   • TRANSIENT TIC DISORDER
   • CHRONIC TIC DISORDER
   • TIC DISORDER (NOS)
5. Brain Disorders (Injury & Disease) signs/symptoms/treatment
   • INTRODUCTION
   • DIFFERENCES TO ADULTS
   • TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY
   • CONGENITAL MALFORMATIONS
   • GENETIC DISORDERS
   • TUMOURS
   • INFECTIOUS DISEASES
   • CEREBROVASCULAR DISEASE
   • EPILEPSY
   • ENVIRONMENTAL TOXINS
6. Other Disorders - Motor Disorders, Elimination Disorders, Feeding & Eating Disorders; (there is less literature on these but they could be broken down into more than one lesson if necessary) signs/symptoms/treatment
   • INTRODUCTION
   • ELIMINATION DISORDERS
   • ENCOPRESIS
   • ENURESIS
   • FEEDING AND EATING DISORDERS OF CHILDHOOD
   • REACTIVE ATTACHMENT DISORDER
   • SELECTIVE MUTISM
   • STEREOTYPIC MOVEMENT DISORDER
7. Environmental Problems - Abuse and Neglect, Relationship Problems signs/symptoms/treatment
   • INTRODUCTION
   • CHILD ABUSE
   • DEFINITION OF CHILD ABUSE
   • FACTITIOUS DISORDER BY PROXY
   • THE EFFECTS OF ABUSE
   • ATTACHMENT ISSUES
   • LIFESTYLE
8. Problems of Adolescence - Anorexia, Bulimia, Substance Use, Family Conflict signs/symptoms/treatment
   • INTRODUCTION
   • SIGNIFICANT DISORDERS OF ADOLESCENCE
9. Holistic and Alternative Approaches to Treatment - this should be a general approach to dealing with children & adolescents i.e. not directed at specific conditions
   • DRUG TREATMENTS
   • FOOD AND MENTAL HEALTH
   • ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES - homeopathy, art therapy, music therapy, counselling/psychotherapy, craniosacral/biodynamic osteopathy, kinesiology, aromatherapy, sensory integration, behavioural optometry, hearing and mental health, movement therapies.
10. Special Project - student chooses something of interest

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

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