Back to Find Units Page

Unit of Study MHNS6004 - Physical Health Care in Mental Health (2025)

Show me unit information for year

Unit Snapshot

  • Unit type

    PG Coursework Unit

  • Credit points

    12

  • Faculty/College

    Faculty of Health

  • Placement

    No

  • Enrolment information

    N/A

Unit description

Aims to equip learner's with the knowledge and skills to reduce the life expectancy disparity between people diagnosed and treated for mental health problems and the general population. Learners will develop capabilities to assist people address their holistic needs and promote recovery and wellbeing. This includes consideration of sexual health, diet and nutrition, activity and exercise, and addressing modifiable risk factors for disease highly prevalent in groups who access mental health services. The relationship between physical health and mental health will be examined and learners will explore guidelines for best practice in relation to physical health and lifestyle advice for a range of mental disorders including eating disorders. The effects of medication as they impact on physical health will be critically examined and learner's will consider strategies to address iatrogenic harms of treatment and promote recovery. 

Unit content

  • The physical wellbeing of mental health service users
  • Modifiable risk factors for disease including smoking, alcohol and drug use, sedentary lifestyle, smoking and poor diet
  • Barriers to achieving healthy lifestyles for service users including broad determinants of health, poverty, homelessness, stigma, the impact of symptoms and the effects of treatments
  • The effects of pharmacological treatments on the body, sexual functioning, adverse effects, drug induced psychiatric emergencies, the impact of smoking on drug metabolism and cardio-metabolic risks such as metabolic syndrome
  • Nutrition, and exercise as treatments to address mental health problems and enhance wellbeing
  • Addressing the sexual health needs of mental health service users 
  • The aetiology and treatment of eating disorders

Availabilities

Location Domestic International
SCU Online
Term2
Term2

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:

critically analyse the physical health status of people with mental health related problems and recommend evidence based solutions to enhance holistic wellbeing, address physical health problems and prevent chronic disease

critically explore the impacts of commonly used pharmacological treatments on the physical health of service users, identify risks, recognise adverse effects, common interactions, and recommend appropriate responses to prevent harm and enhance wellbeing.

design and communicate assessment, care planning and referral practices to collaboratively address the physical and sexual health needs of mental health service users

create strategies to effectively support the mental health and physical needs of people undergoing treatment for physical health problems including eating disorders

Prescribed learning resources

Prescribed Texts
  • Prescribed text information is not currently available.
Prescribed Resources/Equipment
  • Prescribed resources/equipment information is not currently available.

Prescribed Learning Resources may change in future Teaching Periods.