Mental Health in Low Income Settings

University of Copenhagen
12 - 30 July 2010

Students must arrive by: Sunday 11 July 2010

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• Course Description
• Target Audience
  
• Delivery Method
• Assessment Details
• Accommodation
  
• Costs
• Further Information

Course Description

In this intensive three week course, students will explore the epidemiology and social origins of mental health disease in low income settings. Additionally, students will learn to think critically about designing interventions and scaling up services to affected populations within the confines of a low-income health setting.

Mental disorders are an important cause of long-term disability worldwide and the WHO attributes 31.7% of all years lived with disability due to neuropsychiatric. These disorders are estimated to cause 1.4 million deaths each year and are quickly becoming a dominant cause of ill health worldwide. Partly inspired by the 2007 Lancet Series entitled Global Mental Health; this course explores the topic of mental health disease in low-income countries from a multi-disciplinary perspective.

The course is divided into three one-week thematic areas

Week 1 - The Epidemiology of Mental Health Disease

In week 1, students will explore the definition of mental health disease and its distribution across low income countries and demographies. Additionally, students will learn how mental health diseases interact with other endemic diseases in low income settings including HIV/AIDS, Malaria, Tuberculosis and Diabetes; and will focus on the relationship between mental health disorders and drug adherence when treating these endemic conditions.

Week 2 - Society and Mental Health Disorders

In week 2, students will assume an anthropological and sociological approach to study the social origins of mental health and explore how mental health disease manifests itself in vulnerable populations. Students will learn how social structures contribute to the onset of mental health disease in women and how developmental disorders in children are understood and responded to in some low-income settings. The week will end with a discussion on mental health disease in conflict settings. PTSD, sexual violence, and torture will be discussed.

Week 3 - Treating and Preventing Mental Health in LMIC

In the final week, students will learn about the barriers to scaling up services to treat mental health disease in low-income countries. Topics include stigma, lack of political will, and human resource shortages. An exploration of task shifting innovations for preventing and treating mental health disease will follow and the course will end with a visit to the World Health Organization Regional Office for a discussion on the Mental Health Gap Action plan.

Target Audience

The course is open to all students in their last year of undergraduate studies or first year master level studies who have a relevant educational background in public health, anthropology, psychology, or sociology. Additionally, the course will accept a limited number of students from the medical sciences with an interest in international health. Students should have a history of solid academic performance and previous health related course work. A background in mental health is not required

Delivery Method

Monday and Tuesday (9:30 am to 3:30 pm; evening individual studies): 4 hour lectures, 1 hour discussion per day

Wednesday (9:30 am to 2:30 pm; evening individual studies): 3 hour lectures, 1 hour discussion

Thursday (9:30 am to 2:30 pm; evening individual studies): 3 hour lectures, 1 hour discussion

Friday (9:30 am to 12:30 pm): Visits to relevant field sites, including the Centre for Victims of Torture and the WHO Regional Office for Europe

Assessment

Participation in class discussions – 10%
Essays – 90%

At the beginning of the course, students will be provided four questions with relevance to the discussed themes. Each student must choose two questions and write a 2500 word essay about each. Research papers should be solidly founded in relevant literature.

The course gives 5 ECTS. 1/6 of a semester’s load (30 ECTS).

Accommodation

Students will be directed to apply for accommodation in Copenhagen once they have been accepted onto the course. The room will either be in a hall of residence or with a private landlord/lady in Copenhagen depending on availability. The room will be furnished and with access to bathroom and kitchen facilities. Please note that the University of Copenhagen does not offer traditional on-campus accommodation.

Costs (Danish Kroner)

Tuition fee: TBA

Accommodation: DKK 2,500-3,000

Field-trip costs: DKK 200

Estimated visa cost: DKK 450, if applicable

Estimated text book costs: DKK 250

Estimated living expenses: DKK 2,000

More information about life in Copenhagen is available from: globalhealth.ku.dk/student_handbook.

Further Information

For further information about this course, visit globalhealth.ku.dk