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Unit of Study MHNS5002 - Mental Health Across the Lifespan (2025)

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Unit Snapshot

  • Unit type

    PG Coursework Unit

  • Credit points

    12

  • Faculty/College

    Faculty of Health

  • Placement

    No

  • Enrolment information

    N/A

Unit description

Emphasises the life stage and bio-psycho-social contexts specifically related to providing effective therapeutic engagement with, children, adolescents, older persons and families. Learners will critically apply these contexts to all aspects of comprehensive assessment, formulation, diagnosis, care and intervention across the lifespan.

Unit content

  • A review of the foundations of human development and developmental theory
  • An exploration of common manifestation of mental health problems and disorders as they emerge in childhood and adolescence
  • The impact of trauma on mentalisation, attachment and human development
  • An overview of therapeutic interventions across the lifespan
  • Systemic influences on human development, mapping family structure, social networks, and formulation in child, youth and family work
  • Influences on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander wellbeing across the lifespan
  • Positive aging

Availabilities

Location Domestic International
SCU Online
Term1,5
Term1,5

Learning outcomes

Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

review and critique developmental theory and research as it applies to the aetiology, presentation and treatment of mental health problems across the lifespan and in diverse populations

describe how mental health problems manifest differently across the lifespan and outline developmental and cultural considerations to addressing such problems and promoting mental health in partnership with service users

examine and critically consider the systemic influences on mental health including family, family history, community and larger social and cultural contexts over time.

develop a sophisticated understanding of the impact of trauma and how trauma is communicated intergenerationally, the impacts on human development and mental health and how the impacts of trauma can be addressed to enhance social and emotional wellbeing

Prescribed learning resources

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Prescribed Texts
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Prescribed Learning Resources may change in future Teaching Periods.