| CODE | PLC5714 | ||||||
| TITLE | Mental Health Issues in Pastoral Activity | ||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | ||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | ||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 5 | ||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Pastoral Theology, Liturgy and Canon Law | ||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit starts with a Historical and Theoretical Perspective of Mental Illness going through the various paradigms such as, the Psychodynamic Model, the Cognitive-Behavioural Model as well as the Biopsychosocial Model. It will present the major classifications of mental disorders followed by an elaboration of some select issues in mental health such as, Emotional and Behavioural Disorders, Mood Disorders, Personality Disorders and Substance Use Disorders. Study-unit Aims: To provide the students with a brief exposure to the world of abnormal psychology. For this reason, a short selection of topics deemed to be the most common and more likely to be encountered in the field of pastoral activity will be undertaken. The world of psychopathology will be addressed from the fields of psychiatry, psychology and the law. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: 鈥� define the complexity and the elusive nature of abnormality; 鈥� distinguish between genetic predispositions to pathology and precipitating factors; 鈥� appreciate the role of the social environment in the triggering and the creating of those conditions related to such disorders; 鈥� identify the most common forms of personality disorders or other conditions and to address them. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: 鈥� go beyond populist notions of abnormality and to apply more scientific criteria in identifying and understanding such phenomena; 鈥� go beyond personal/gender bias and be able to address such cases in a more objective way; 鈥� report on such cases in technical language and to refer them to specialised care; 鈥� make practical decisions especially in crisis situations. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: MAIN TEXT - Comer, Ronald, J., Fundamentals of Abnormal Psychology, 7th Edition (Macmillan International Edition, 2014). SUPPLEMNTARY READING Any other textbook based on a DSM 5/ ICD 10 classification. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Independent Study | ||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Miriam Agius Anthony Dimech Paul Galea Anna Maria Vella |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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