Syllabus
Instructor
Instructor: Deepa Rao, PhD, MA
Professor, Global Health
Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
University of Washington
Dr. Deepa Rao (she/her/hers) is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Professor at the University of Washington, Seattle. She is also the Associate Director of Global Mental Health and the MPH program in the Department of Global Health. Her professional interests are in implementing and disseminating effective behavioral interventions in non-psychiatric settings to improve mental health, reduce stigma, and help people better engage in the care.
Description
The Global Mental Health course describes the key issues in global mental health, such as stigma and social determinants such as violence and poverty. The course also covers the criteria for diagnosing mental disorders, various assessment instruments and considerations for adapting those tools in local settings, prevention and promotion of good mental health, treatment interventions, and integrated care through task sharing. While this course does not qualify you to diagnose and treat mental illness, you will learn about available resources for care, treatment, and advocacy. You can also download the course syllabus. You are required to take a Course Policy Quiz to ensure you understand policies and grading for this course.Course Learning Objectives
After completing this course, you will be able to:- Describe burden of mental disorder and explain life course perspective on mental health.
- Describe social determinants of mental health.
- Define stigma and explain its origins and consequences.
- List and describe various diagnostic and assessment tools.
- Describe cultural differences in presentation of mental distress.
- List treatment options and techniques.
- List prevention and promotion options and techniques.
- Describe motivation and tools used for care integration.
- Describe methods of implementation science and know-do gap in global mental health.
Target Audience
Participants are from multiple countries around the world and include health care workers and clinicians who have a bachelor’s-level degree (or equivalent). The course is appropriate for individuals with experience in a health-related field with interest in understanding global mental health issues.
Participants completing all assignments are awarded a Certificates of Completion from the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington, USA.
Format
This is a self-paced, online modular course divided into 10 weeks. This course will be delivered entirely online through a course management system named (Moodle). Participants are expected to review the pre-recorded weekly lectures, complete assigned readings and activities, and participate in discussion via the discussion forums. Most participants will also meet with a local study group that is led by a site facilitator. This is meant to increase opportunities for discussion about the relevance of the material to the local setting. Completion of a final course evaluation is strongly encouraged for successful completion of the course.If you have any questions, please look at the course FAQ. If your question isn't answered there, please email edgh@uw.edu.
Materials
All reading materials for this course are provided, in PDF form, or by linking to online sources.Grading
To be successful in the course you will need to complete all of the learning activities listed. Final grades will be calculated as follows:| Activity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| If available to you, attendance at a local study group to discuss the relevance and applicability of the material to the local setting. | 75% attendance required (3 out of 4 sessions) |
| Participation in the online discussion board on the course website. | 10% |
| Weekly quizzes | 40% |
| Individual Reflection Guide (IRG) assignment | 50% |
| Total | 100% |
Submitting Assignments
All assignments for this course will be submitted electronically through Moodle. Assignments must be submitted by the given deadline.Viewing Grades in Moodle
Points you receive for graded activities will be posted to the Moodle Grade Book.Quizzes will be graded upon submission. Discussion and assignment grades are posted by the end of the day Monday after an assignment is due. If you submit your assignment late (after the due date), please note that your grade will be updated approximately 10 days after the due date. All due dates and times are in Pacific Time.
Assignments
Assignments
To help participants relate the concepts in the course to their local context, they will be answering questions each week in the Individual Reflection Guide (IRG). Participants are required to turn the IRG in three times throughout the course. Participants are encouraged to submit their assignments on time. If a participant anticipates challenges that would prevent them from submitting an assignment on time (e.g., travelling to a remote area for work), please let us know in advance.
Discussion Forums
Your participation in the discussion forums is critical for maximizing your learning experiences in this course. Please refer to the information on posting to discussion forums to read about expectations for posting.Quizzes
Quizzes are due by Sunday each week. Each are worth 4 points (total of 40 points). You may attempt each quiz twice. The learning management system will record your highest score.
Note, there is no final exam.
Certificate of Completion
Active participation is required in order to receive a Certificate of Completion for the course. To receive a Certificate of Completion from the University of Washington, USA, you must pass the course, which means getting a final score of 70% or higher on all graded activities. If you are a site participant, you must earn a qualifying score and attend 3 of the site meetings your site will hold. Attendance at more, if offered, is encouraged but not required to meet the site participation requirement. After the course, site participant certificates will be sent to site coordinators for distribution.Late Work Policy
Assignments will be due at the end of each module. If you are unable to submit your assignment by the due date, you may still submit it up to one week late without penalty. After the one-week grace period, the assignment will close and it can no longer be accepted for grading.Commitment to Academic Integrity
Commit to Integrity
As a participant in this course you are expected to maintain high degrees of professionalism, commitment to active learning and participation in this class and also integrity in your behavior in and out of the classroom.Definitions
“Plagiarism is defined as the use of the words, ideas, diagrams, etc., of publicly available work without appropriately acknowledging the sources of these materials. This definition constitutes plagiarism whether it is intentional or unintentional and whether it is the work of another or your own, previously published work. Plagiarism is a very serious offense that the University of Washington's eDGH Program does not tolerate.”