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Mental Health Issues Across the Lifespan (PSYC90010)

Graduate courseworkPoints: 6.25On Campus (Parkville)

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Overview

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Semester 1 - On Campus
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This subject focuses on the interplay between developmental factors and psychological functioning across the lifespan. Students will learn about key developmental tasks and transitions at each developmental stagefrom the perinatal period to the end-of-life stage, and will practice applying this knowledge to clinical case formulation. The subject covers approaches to engagement, assessment, diagnosis, and intervention at each developmental stage , and ways in which interventions need to be tailored in light of maturational, cultural, and other contextual variables . Topics nclude mental health in the perinatal period; working with attachment-related concerns in clinical practice; social, emotional and behavioural problems of early and middle childhood; engaging adolescents; developmental tasks and transitions in early adulthood, mid-life and old age; and psychological intervention in the context of dementia.

Intended learning outcomes

On completion of this subject, students should be able to:

Knowledge

On completion of this subject, students should be able to:

  • Describe the major developmental tasks of each stage across the lifespan.
  • Identify how developmental tasks of each stage vary across cultural contexts.

Skills


On completion of this subject students should:

  • Demonstrate enhanced and culturally appropriate skills in engagement, assessment, diagnosis, and intervention at each developmental stage;
  • Illustrate ways in which interventions need to be tailored in light of maturational, cultural and contextual variables.

Application of Knowledge and Skills

 

On completion of this subject, students should be able to:

  • Develop clinical case formulations for clients that take into account developmental and associated contextual/systemic/cultural factors;
  • Incorporate knowledge about bidirectional relationships between developmental tasks and psychological difficulties commonly presenting at each developmental stage into clinical case formulations in a culturally appropriate manner;
  • Conceptualise and develop intervention plans using an understanding of the developmental stage and cultural context of the client.

Generic skills

  1. Advanced information interpretations skills
  2. Advanced analytic, integration and problem solving skills

Last updated: 12 February 2026