Engagement and Assessment of Patients with Common Mental Health Problems
| Module title | Engagement and Assessment of Patients with Common Mental Health Problems |
|---|---|
| Module code | PYC3019DA |
| Academic year | 2023/4 |
| Credits | 20 |
| Module staff | Miss Dona-Marie Anderson (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 14 |
Module description
PWPs assess and support people with common mental health problems in the self-management of their recovery. In this module you will learn how to undertake a range of patient-centred assessments and how to identify the main areas of concern relevant to the assessment undertaken. You will acquire knowledge and competence to enable you to apply these in a range of different assessment formats and settings. These different elements or types of assessment include screening/triage assessment with an NHS Talking Therapies Service; risk assessment, provisional diagnostic assessment, mental health clustering assessment; psychometric assessment (using the NHS Talking Therapies standardised symptoms measures), problem focussed assessment; and intervention planning assessment. In all these assessments you will need to be able to engage patients and establish an appropriate relationship whilst gathering information in a collaborative manner.
You will obtain knowledge of mental health disorders and the evidence-based therapeutic competencies in communication skills and collaborative working and, along with a good understanding of common mental health problems and evidence-based treatment choices, enable you to apply these skills to undertake an effective low intensity CBT-based assessment and plan a collaborative treatment programme.
You will develop awareness of the value of NHS Talking Therapy metrics, including anxiety disorder specific measures.
Module aims - intentions of the module
The aim of this module is to develop your core ‘common factors’ competencies in communication skills and collaborative working and, along with a good understanding of common mental health problems and evidence-based treatment choices, enable you to apply these skills to undertake an effective LICBT assessment and plan a collaborative treatment programme.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Describe in detail and critically evaluate concepts of mental health and mental illness, diagnostic category systems in mental health and a range of social, medical and psychological explanatory models
- 2. Competently apply the principles, purposes and different types of assessment undertaken with people with common mental health disorders
- 3. Competently employ common factors to facilitate engagement, gather information and build a therapeutic alliance with people with common mental health problems, managing the emotional content of sessions and grasping the patients perspective or world view
- 4. Gather patient-centred information to arrive at a succinct and collaborative definition of the patients main mental health difficulties and the impact this has on their daily living
- 5. Recognise and describe in detail patterns of symptoms consistent with diagnostic categories of mental disorder from a patient centred interview, to correctly identify the patients primary problem descriptor
- 6. Recognise and describe the complexity of mental health disorders, the presence of multi-morbidity of physical or mental health conditions and support the identification of the primary target problems
- 7. Demonstrate knowledge of, and competence in accurate risk assessment regarding the patient and others
- 8. Use standardised assessment tools including symptom and other psychometric instruments to aid problem recognition and definition and subsequent decision making
- 9. Use competently the COM-B behavioural change model in identifying intervention goals and choice of appropriate interventions
- 10. Give evidence-based information about treatment choices and make shared decisions with patients
- 11. Competently support the setting of agreed goals for treatment which are specific, achievable, realistic and timely (SMART)
- 12. Competently support the identification of the most appropriate treatment pathway, including stepping up and onward referral for those who do not fit the criteria for treatment at Step 2
- 13. Competently support the patient to identify, review and revise the most appropriate mode of delivery for treatment, including suitability for online modes of delivery
- 14. Comprehend and evaluate critically the patients attitude to a range of mental health treatments including prescribed medication and evidence-based psychological treatments
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 15. Summarise basic and essential factual and conceptual knowledge of the subject, and demonstrate a critical understanding of this knowledge
- 16. Review and evaluate established work and identify some of the strengths and weaknesses of this work
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 17. Record accurately interviews and questionnaire assessments using paper and electronic record-keeping systems
- 18. Evaluate your strengths and weaknesses, challenge received opinion and develop your own criteria and judgement and seek and make use of feedback
Syllabus plan
The module content, module-specific learning objectives, style of delivery and assessment for this module are as informed by the HEE 4th Edition (2022) revised curriculum for the training of Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners to support the delivery of low intensity CBT associated with NHS Talking Therapies services. Teaching content will include:
Knowledge Concerning Core Competencies, Assessment of Common Mental Health Problems
- Issues and ethical codes of conduct in relation to practice as a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner
- Concepts of mental health and mental illness
- Diagnostic classification systems in mental health
- Patient-centred interviewing
- Social, medical and psychological explanatory models of mental health
- Recognition of patterns of symptoms and relate these to diagnostic categories of mental health difficulties
- Risk and risk assessment
- Standardised symptom assessment tools and psychometric instruments
- Treatment choices and shared decision making
- Patient attitude and effect on medication and psychological therapy treatment choice
- Electronic record-keeping systems
- Recording of interviews and pencil-based questionnaire assessments
Intensive Skills Practice
- Use of ‘common factors’ communication skills to effectively engage clients and develop and maintain an effective therapeutic alliance and engagement with the LICBT self-help intervention process
- Patient-centred information gathering; deriving a collaborative definition of the patients main mental health difficulties and impact on daily living
- Recognising and assessing risk
- Use patient reported outcome measures, tools and psychometric instruments
- Managing the emotional content of sessions
- Appreciation and understanding of the patient’s perspective or world view
- Patient-centred information giving, communicating concepts of mental health, mental illness, treatment options
- Shared decision-making including mode of treatment delivery
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 58 | 142 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 35 | Practical classes used to develop clinical competencies in assessment and engagement through tutor supervised small group role-play |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 10 | Lectures |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 7 | Seminars led by the tutor and address a range of important topics covered in the module |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 6 | Tutorials take the form of small group sessions led by the tutor |
| Guided independent study | 80 | Reading and preparation for seminars in flipped classroom delivery model |
| Guided independent study | 45 | Self-practice and self-reflection on role plays of assessments with fellow students undertaken outside of teaching sessions |
| Guided independent study | 17 | Develop an understanding of service related clinical protocols, policies and procedures to inform practice, and develop knowledge of role |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical skills competency assessment | 45 minutes | 2-14, 17,18 | Oral |
| Formative exams used in-class and on flipped classroom directed learning | 5-10 minutes each battery of questions | 1-14 | Oral |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 30 | 0 | 70 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay (this assessment must be passed; failure in this assessment will lead to failure in the module) | 30 | 1500 words | 1-7,9, 10, 12, 14-16 | Written and oral |
| Clinical skills competency assessment of an assessment of a patients mental health, comprising six sections (this assessment must be passed with a mark of 18/36 overall and with marks of 3/6 in sections 2, 3, 4 and 6; failure in this assessment will result in a maximum fail mark of 49 and lead to failure in the module) | 70 | 45 minutes | 2-14, 17, 18 | Written and oral |
| Clinical practice outcome assessment of service level applied competencies undertaken in clinical practice and is pass/fail only (this assessment must be passed; failure in this assessment will lead to failure in the module) | 0 | n/a | 2-14, 17-18 | Written and oral |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | Essay | 1-7,9, 10, 12, 14-16 | Four weeks from the date feedback was provided |
| Clinical skills competency assessment | Clinical skills competency assessment | 2-14, 17, 18 | Four weeks from the voluntary additional top up skills date |
| Clinical practice outcome | Clinical practice outcome | 2-14, 17-18 | Four weeks from the date feedback was provided or a date to be determined in partnership with you and your service, on basis of agreed action plan |
Re-assessment notes
Three assessments are required for this module. In all cases re-assessment will be the same as the original assessment. Where you have been referred/deferred for any form of assessment detailed above you will have the opportunity to retake within four weeks from the date that feedback was provided (or a date determined in partnership with you and your service on the basis of agreed action plan for Clinical Practice Outcomes).
If you pass re-assessments taken as a result of deferral, your re-assessment will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment and the overall module mark will not be capped.
If you pass re-assessments taken as a result of referral (i.e. following initial failure in the assessment), the individual assessment is capped at the pass mark and the overall module mark will be capped at 40%.
If you fail re-assessments taken as a result of referral (i.e. following initial failure in the assessment), you will be failed in the module and as a consequence you will be failed in the programme and your registration as a student of the University will be terminated.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Core reading:
- Bennett-Levy, J., Richards, D., Farrand, P. et al (2010). Oxford Guide to Low Intensity CBT Interventions. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Bennett-Levy, J., Thwaites, R., Haarhoff, B. & Perry, H. (2015). Experiencing CBT from the Inside Out: A Self-Practice/Self-Reflection Workbook for Therapists. Guilford, New York.
- Farrand, P. (2020). Low-Intensity CBT Skills and Interventions. London: SAGE.
- The improving access to psychological therapies manual - NHS england. Available at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/the-nhs-talking-therapies-manual-v6.pdf?trk=public_post_comment-text
- Papworth, M. and Marrinan, T. (2019) Low intensity cognitive behaviour therapy: A practitioner’s guide. Los Angeles: SAGE.?
- Richards, D. & Whyte, M. (2011). Reach Out Manual, 3rd Edition. http://cedar.exeter.ac.uk/media/universityofexeter/schoolofpsychology/cedar/documents/liiapt/coverimages/Reach_Out_3rd_edition.pdf
Wider reading:
- American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Desk reference to the diagnostic criteria from DSM-5. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Publishing.
- Layard, R., & Clark, D. M. (2014). Thrive: The power of evidence-based psychological therapies. London: Penguin Group.
- Michie, S., van Stralen M.M., & West, R. (2011). The behaviour change wheel: A new method for characterising and designing behaviour change interventions. Implementation Science, 6, 42.
- Myles, P. & Rushforth, D. (2007). A Complete Guide to Primary Care Mental Health. London: Robinson.
- David M. Clark (2011) Implementing NICE guidelines for the psychological treatment of depression and anxiety disorders: The IAPT experience, International Review of Psychiatry, 23:4, 318-327, DOI: 10.3109/09540261.2011.606803??
- BPS. (2018). Code of Ethics and Conduct. Guidance published by the Ethics Committee of the British Psychological Society. BPS: Leicester.???
- BABCP. (2010). Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics. British Association for Behavioural & Cognitive Psychotherapies. BABCP: Bury.??
- National Institute for Clinical Excellence. (2009). CG90 Depression in Adults (update), Depression: the treatment and management of depression in adults. London: National Institute for Clinical Excellence.???
- National for Clinical Excellence. (2011). CG113 Anxiety. London. National Institute for Clinical Excellence.??
| Credit value | 20 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 10 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | PYC3020DA Evidence-Based Low Intensity Treatment for Common Mental Health Problems and PYC3021DA Values, Diversity and Context |
| NQF level (module) | 6 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 03/07/2020 |
| Last revision date | 22/09/2023 |
