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224.694.01
Mental Health Intervention Programming in Low and Middle-Income Countries

Location
East Baltimore
Term
3rd Term
Department
International Health
Credit(s)
3
Academic Year
2019 - 2020
Instruction Method
TBD
Class Time(s)
Tu, Th, 3:30 - 4:50pm
Auditors Allowed
No
Available to Undergraduate
No
Grading Restriction
Letter Grade or Pass/Fail
Course Instructor(s)
Contact Name
Frequency Schedule
Every Year
Prerequisite

330.620 Issues in Global Mental Health Research (highly recommended)

Description
Introduces students to mental illness symptoms and syndromes found across contexts and the variety of strategies used to treat such symptoms. Discusses mental health services as an integral part of global health program development. Addresses methods of adapting and developing interventions in low-resource countries and humanitarian contexts, as well as research designs used to evaluate these interventions. Challenges students to use critical and creative thinking skills throughout to discuss the issues involved in this relatively new field. Focuses on cross-cultural challenges in conducting mental health research in these settings. Topics covered include an overview of mental health issues in low-resource countries and humanitarian contexts; cross-cultural challenges; developing, modifying and disseminating prevention and intervention strategies; and the interplay between mental health and related topics such as nutrition, fitness and diabetes; HIV; substance abuse; and violence.
Learning Objectives
Upon successfully completing this course, students will be able to:
  1. Discuss issues critical to understanding mental health in low-resource contexts
  2. Recognize the major mental illness symptoms that are found cross-culturally in adults and children
  3. Illustrate ways in which culture can affect mental health services
  4. Recognize the issues and challenges inherent in strategies for prevention, intervention development and dissemination in low-resource countries
  5. Describe the process of identification, adaptation and select methods to evaluate mental health interventions in low-resource countries
  6. Critique past and current strategies for identifying, assessing, measuring and intervening on international mental health issues
Methods of Assessment
This course is evaluated as follows:
  • 25% Class attendance, participation and required readings
  • 15% Quizzes
  • 50% Paper(s)
  • 10% Term presentation
Enrollment Restriction
No undergraduates unless prior instructor approval
Special Comments

Knowledge of mental health epidemiology is recommended. Students are exposed to examples and case studies from real-time mental health projects in the field.
No undergraduates unless prior instructor approval