Course overview
Mental illnesses and disorders affect around 20% of people. Many of us know someone personally who has a mental health problem. Although mental health problems were once considered taboo most modern societies accept mental illness as a condition which can affect anyone.
Our understanding of mental illnesses has increased drastically over the past 150 years and we now have more ways of helping people to cope with their symptoms or overcome them entirely. This course will help the student to develop an awareness of a range of common psychological disorders – their aetiology, symptoms, prognosis, and possible treatment options.
Whilst the course largely mirrors classifications systems used in the DSM and ICD, the student is also encouraged to consider issues such as how do we define normality and abnormality, and when is an individual’s behaviour within the bounds of what is regarded as “normal” in society – and when is it “abnormal”.
Who's It For?
- You
- Me
- Everybody
Job outcomes
- Psychiatric nurse
- Caring roles
- Health professional
- Health administration
- Youth Work
- Social Work
Recognition

Study method
- OnlineOnline delivery - online course content with the exception of assessments and work placement
- BlendedBlended delivery - both online course content and partial face to face requirements
- In-classIn class delivery - predominately face to face course content conducted at a specific location
- VirtualVirtual Delivery - Live and interactive classroom-style learning conducted completely online
Duration study load
- Approx. 100 hours
Course features
- Strong students support – We employ top teachers and have spent 35 years building resources to support you
- Our tutors are accessible, with academics on duty in both Australia and the UK daily. True learning is a process guided by expert teachers. Our teaching staff are a team of experts, spread across the world, all university trained and with real-world experience. They include veterinary scientists, agricultural scientists, and behavioural scientists
- Courses are revised and updated in response to feedback from every student who graduates
Assessment
Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school’s tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.
Subjects
- Criteria for determining abnormality
- Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
- Childhood Disorders
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Conduct Disorder
- Mental Retardation
- Aspergers Disorder
- Stereotypic Movement Disorder
- Types of cognitive disorders
- Delirium
- Dementia
- Types of Dementia
- Alzheimers Disease
- Comparing Dementia and Delerium
- Amnesia
- Cognitive Disorder NOS
- Pseudo Dementia
- Research Methods in Biopsychology
- Scope and nature of Substance Abuse
- Reasons for Using Drugs
- Substance Dependance
- Intoxication and Withrawal
- Alcohol Dependance and DT’s
- Substance Dependance
- Substance Abuse
- Drug Misuse
- Classes of Drugs
- Scope and nature
- Psychosis
- Treating Psychosis
- Schizoaffective Disorders
- Delusional (Paranoid) Disorders
- Onset of Schizophrenia
- Symptoms of Schizophrenia
- Treating Schizophrenia
- Schizophrenia and violence
- Biology of Schizophrenia
- Anipsychotic Medications
- Psychosocial Treatments
- Role of the Patients Support System
- Depressive Disorders
- Determining Type of Depression
- Unipolar disorders and bipolar disorders.
- Risk Factors for Depression
- Men and Depression
- Diagnostic Evaluation and Treatment
- Types of Treatment