Description

This course serves as an introduction to a wide range of mental health topics beginning with definitions of normality and abnormality with respect to human behavior, and including the concepts of stigma and othering. The social and genetic bases for major mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression are also explored in depth. Students explore definitions of mental illness and how the existence of certain disorders remains a source of debate. Various perspectives and treatments are included such as Freudian/psychoanalytic, cognitive behavioral and psychopharmacology; mental health as a neglected global public health issue will also be covered with an emphasis on application of concepts to real-world challenges at the individual, community and population levels.