Transcultural Mental Health (PSYT90014)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 6.25On Campus (Parkville) and Online
About this subject
Contact information
June
Email: continuing-education@unimelb.edu.au
Phone: + 61 3 8344 0149
Contact hours: https://unimelb.edu.au/professional-development/contact-us
Overview
| Availability | June - On Campus June - Online |
|---|---|
| Fees | Look up fees |
Transcultural psychiatry concerns itself with the:
- nature of mental illness;
- causes and distribution of mental illness in different populations;
- culture and clinical practice, including the clinician-patient relationship; and the
- design of mental health services in multicultural societies.
Students will examine the role of culture in the development and the treatment of mental illness, and will be provided with a short introduction into the education of mental health professionals, and the construction and operations of health systems. They will integrate cultural with biological, psychological and social considerations in their thinking about clincial practice and briefly consider the design and operations of the mental health service settings in which they work. Students will consider the cultural and linguistic diversity of the Australian community and the implications of such diversity for clinical practice. They will examine the cultural construction of concepts of mental illness and the cultural assumptions and commitments of contemporary psychiatry. Prevalence of mental illness in immigrant, refugee and Aboriginal communities will be explored as will the patterns of mental health service utilisation. Students will develop knowledge and skills i ncultural assessment, cross-cultural diagnosis and treatment.
Intended learning outcomes
Students who complete this subject should be able to:
- Describe the cultural diversity of Australian society, and the mental health implications of this diversity
- Differentiate new ways of thinking about concepts of culture, and concept of psychiatric illness across different cultures, and to apply these concepts in day-to-day clinical work
- Describe the differing patterns of mental health service utilisation by different ethnic communities in Victoria, and the factors that may be responsible for these different patterns of service use such as the epidemiology of mental illness across cultures
- Discuss frameworks for thinking about public mental health policy, and service design and evaluation, in relation to people from different cultural backgrounds
- Demonstrate skills in the integration of cultural competence into psychiatric assessment and diagnosis
- Demonstrate skills in the integration of cultural competence into psychiatric management.
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Assessment
| Description | Timing | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
Participation in class discussions, and completion of learning activities and group exercises | During the teaching period | 20% |
Written assignment, due within 3 weeks of teaching period end date
| 3 Weeks after the end of teaching | 80% |
| Hurdle requirement: Attendance: 75% of sessions (for face-to-face students) OR 75% completion of online modules (for online students) | Throughout the teaching period | N/A |
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Dates & times
- June - On Campus
- June - Online
Coordinator Mahesh Jayaram Mode of delivery Online Contact hours 21 Total time commitment 85 hours Pre teaching start date 23 June 2025 Pre teaching requirements During the pre-teaching period, students should familiarise themselves with the online platform and may like to take the opportunity to read through preliminary information about the subject and the services and support that is available to them. Students are encouraged to use this time to also introduce themselves to peers and teaching staff and to learn about those they will be studying with throughout the term. Teaching period 30 June 2025 to 8 August 2025 Last self-enrol date 24 June 2025 Census date 11 July 2025 Last date to withdraw without fail 15 August 2025 Assessment period ends 12 September 2025 June contact information
Email: continuing-education@unimelb.edu.au
Phone: + 61 3 8344 0149
Contact hours: https://unimelb.edu.au/professional-development/contact-us
Time commitment details
85
What do these dates mean
Visit this webpage to find out about these key dates, including how they impact on:
- Your tuition fees, academic transcript and statements.
- And for Commonwealth Supported students, your:
- Student Learning Entitlement. This applies to all students enrolled in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP).
Subjects withdrawn after the census date (including up to the ‘last day to withdraw without fail’) count toward the Student Learning Entitlement.
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Further information
- Texts
- Subject notes
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (CAP), subject to applicants meeting the entry requirements for the course.
- Related Handbook entries
- Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Please note Single Subject Studies via Community Access Program is not available to student visa holders or applicants
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
Additional information for this subject
Students wishing to take this subject under Community Access must meet the course entry requirements to be eligible.
Last updated: 4 March 2025