An introduction to mental health conditions and clinical disorders University of Cambridge

Overview

An introduction to mental health conditions and clinical disorders course from the University of Cambridge first two sessions will be spent exploring the concepts of mental health and mental conditions and also looking at how such conditions are best conceptualised. This will also involve the issue of intervention/treatment. The remaining sessions will then apply this knowledge onto three specific mental health areas: mood disorders, the autism spectrum and schizophrenia. 

Key facts:

Over the last few decades, the way in which ‘mental health’ and mental health conditions/disorders are viewed has changed radically. Once upon a time, ‘mental illness’ was regarded in a very negative way and bound up with high levels of stigma. This has changed in many parts of the world and people generally have a better understanding of mental health issues. At the same time, there is a growing awareness that mental health is a broader issue that relates to everyone. For example, just because a person is free from any major physical illness, it does not mean that they are ‘physically fit’.

 The same idea applies to mental illness. This growing awareness has become much more acute in recent years with the advent of COVID and the various measures that have been put in place. Arguably, COVID has been responsible for one of the most widespread challenges to global mental health that we have seen in decades. 

As a result, the issue of mental health is perhaps more relevant now than it has ever been. Given this situation, it is more important than ever for people to gain a better understanding of mental health and mental illness and the key aim of this course is to achieve this understanding for all of the students attending.