The Master of Science in Mental Health Studies is an interfaculty programme of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery and Faculty for Social Wellbeing, at the University of Malta.
Where possible, the lectures for the Master of Science in Mental Health Studies will also be delivered through video conferencing in Gozo.
The main strength of this programme is its learning and multidisciplinary aspect. Whilst this renders it innovative, it is also a direct reflection of the need to odder synergistic, holistic and comprehensive services to individuals experiencing mental health difficulties. The course responds to local needs related to the areas of long-term Mental Health Recovery, Addictions, and Child and Adolescent Mental Health. It is congruent with the development of Mental Health Services in Malta and reflective of the current strategies that are being employed in order to improve service delivery. This course will instil you with a multidisciplinary and critically reflective mentality which can be directly translated into your practice.
The main strength of this programme is its learning and multidisciplinary aspect, both in relation to its co-ordination and in the target student body. Whilst this renders it innovative, it is also a direct reflection of the need of a mode of practice in the clinical field where a multidisciplinary approach is strongly advocated in order to offer synergistic, holistic and comprehensive services to individuals experiencing mental health difficulties. The course responds to local needs related to the areas of long term Mental Health Recovery, Addictions and Child and Adolescent Mental Health. It is congruent with the development of Mental Health Services in Malta and reflective of the current strategies that are being employed in order to improve service delivery. Furthermore, the target of this course is not simply to offer facts of knowledge but to instil you with a multidisciplinary and critically reflective mentality, which can then be directly translated into your practice. This is a crucial aspect of this postgraduate programme since potential students are ones who are already offering a service and therefore they are the ones who can bring about change and so they need to be actively involved in the programme proceedings. It is also important to note that this programme reflects one of the main principles and goals of the initiating Faculties which is that of collaborating with other entities in order to enable skill mix and multidisciplinary learning to take place whilst avoiding the unnecessary overlapping that may take place if each entity works in isolation.
The course involves theoretical sessions and observational ones (namely in areas related to General/Acute psychiatry, Child and Adolescent services, Rehabilitation/Community services and Addictions). During the observational sessions, you will not undertake any hands-on work but will observe the care being provided according to a set of pre-set objectives for each session.
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Year   (This/these unit/s start/s in Semester 1 and continue/s in Semester 2) | |||||
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Compulsory Units (All students must register for this/these unit/s) | |||||
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HSC5111 | Research Methods for Health Care Professionals | 10 ECTS   |   | ||
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Semester 1 | |||||
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Compulsory Units (All students must register for this/these unit/s) | |||||
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SWB5002 | Interdisciplinary Approaches to Mental Well-Being | 10 ECTS   |   | ||
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Semester 2 | |||||
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Compulsory Units (All students must register for this/these unit/s) | |||||
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PSC5100 | Professional Issues in Mental Health Care | 10 ECTS   |   | ||
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Year   (This/these unit/s start/s in Semester 1 and continue/s in Semester 2) | |||||
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Stream A: Community Care, Holistic and Long-Term Mental Health Recovery | |||||
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MNH5012 | Interdisciplinary Understanding and Approaches in Mental Health Care, Rehabilitation, Community Care and Recovery | 10 ECTS   |   | ||
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Stream B: Addictions | |||||
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PSC5102 | Therapeutic Interventions in Addictions | 10 ECTS   |   | ||
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Stream C: Child and Adolescent Mental Health | |||||
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SWB5005 | Systemic Approaches to Understanding Mental Wellbeing of Children | 10 ECTS   |   | ||
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Semester 1 | |||||
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Stream A: Community Care, Holistic and Long-Term Mental Health Recovery | |||||
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SWB5003 | Recovery and Rehabilitation in the Context of Community Care for Individuals with Complex Mental Health Needs | 10 ECTS   |   | ||
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Stream B: Addictions | |||||
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MNH5013 | Theories of Addiction | 10 ECTS   |   | ||
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Stream C: Child and Adolescent Mental Health | |||||
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PSC5103 | Child and Adolescent Mental Health Conditions | 10 ECTS   |   | ||
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Semester 2 | |||||
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Stream A: Community Care, Holistic and Long-Term Mental Health Recovery | |||||
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PSC5101 | Clinical Syndromes, Assessment and Management of Persons with Mental Health Needs in Rehabilitation and Community Care | 10 ECTS   |   | ||
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Stream B: Addictions | |||||
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SWB5004 | Social Policy and Social Contexts of Addiction | 10 ECTS   |   | ||
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Stream C: Child and Adolescent Mental Health | |||||
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MNH5014 | Psychological Development: Infancy - Adolescence | 10 ECTS   |   | ||
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Year   (This/these unit/s start/s in Semester 1 and continue/s in Semester 2) | |||||
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Compulsory Units (All students must register for this/these unit/s) | |||||
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IFC5000 | Dissertation | 30 ECTS   |   | ||
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This programme of study is governed by the General Regulations for University Postgraduate Awards, 2021 and by the Bye-Laws for the award of Master of Science in Mental Health Studies - M.Sc. - under the auspices of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Faculty for Social Wellbeing and Faculty of Medicine and Surgery.