| CODE | CSD3002 | ||||||||
| TITLE | Communication and Mental Health Needs | ||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 03 - Years 2, 3, 4 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 6 | ||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Human Communication Sciences and Disorders | ||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit will address issues pertaining to communication in the context of mental health conditions encountered in infants, children, adolescents and adults. The study-unit will delve into the nature of mental health conditions, the impact on communication as well as the provision of the SLP service in this field. The role of the psychiatrist, the psychologist and the speech language pathologist, among other health care professionals, will be highlighted. Clinical considerations during assessment, intervention and management of mental health presentations will be explored. Challenges and future directions for SLP practice will be presented. Study-Unit Aims: - To introduce students to different mental health conditions in infants, children, adolescents and adults; - To expose students to different mental health presentations, including (but not limited to) selective mutism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, schizophrenia, addiction-induced disorders, medication-induced disorders; - To inform students about the role of different professionals working with individuals with mental health needs, and the importance of a multiple-disciplinary approach; - To highlight the interaction between communication and mental health needs; - To prepare students for the evolving speech language pathology (SLP) practice in the context of mental health needs; - To introduce important principles and considerations to be taken into account when working with different mental health presentations; - To prepare students for assessment, intervention and management of mental health presentations and communication needs. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Explain different mental health conditions in infants, children, adolescents and adults; - Describe different mental health presentations, including (but not limited to) selective mutism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, schizophrenia, addiction-induced disorders, medication-induced disorders; - Identify the role of different professionals working with individuals with mental health needs, and the importance of a multiple-disciplinary approach; - Describe the interaction between communication and mental health needs; - Discuss the evolving speech language pathology (SLP) practice in the context of mental health needs; - Illustrate important principles and considerations to be taken into account when working with different mental health presentations; - Describe different methods/approaches of assessment, intervention and management of mental health presentations and communication needs. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Assess speech, language, communication, and swallowing in individuals with different mental health needs; - Collaborate with different health care professionals in the management of mental health presentations; - Formulate specific individualised SLP management plans for different individuals with mental health needs; - Provide intervention for speech, language, communication, and swallowing difficulties in individuals with different mental health needs; - Engage in critical review of SLP practice in the field of mental health needs; - Enhance public awareness of the interaction between language/communication and mental health. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - Branagan, A., Cross, M., & Parsons, S. (2020). Language for behaviour and emotions: A practical guide to working with children and young people. Routledge. - Jagoe, C. & Walsh, I.P. (2020). Communication and mental health disorders: Developing theory, growing practice. J&R Press Ltd. - McCool, S. (2023). Working with child and adolescent mental health: The central role of language and communication. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003258476. - Walsh, I. P., & Jagoe, C. (2021). Psychiatric Disorders. In Handbook of Pragmatic Language Disorders (pp. 335–358). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-74985-9_13. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Seminar | ||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Niamh Reynolds Michael Galea Anton Grech Rita Micallef |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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