CMH2005

Dual disabilities

To be offered in 1999

6 credit points · 2 contact hours and 10 hours of study time per week · Taught through the Parkville (Royal Park) campus and by distance education · Second semester

Objectives The objectives are that students should be aware of the epidemiological background to mental disorder in intellectual disability and understand the following: the interaction between the aetiologies of intellectual disability and of mental disorder, the modulating effects of learning difficulties on the mode and character of presentation of mental disorder, the key principles and philosophies of care for persons with learning difficulties in the more general case, how to incorporate the general principles of care for those with intellectual disabilities into psychiatric management, and the application of special strategies for management of mental disorder in the case of those with intellectual disability. Students should also gain an awareness of definitions of various patterns of abnormal substance use, and current understandings and treatment strategies in the area of substance misuse, as well as understand the following: the determinants of substance use in the general population, the social and individual determinants of pathological substance use, the role of substance misuse in precipitating psychiatric and medical disorder, the ways in which psychiatric disorders may affect individuals' ability to respond to treatment interventions for substance misuse. Students will know how to adapt strategies for management of substance misuse to the specific problems of those with mental illness.
Synopsis This subject deals with two major disabilities associated with mental health problems: intellectual disability and substance misuse. Topics include aetiology of intellectual disability, epidemiology of mental illness in intellectual disability, manifestations of mental illness in the intellectually disabled at varying levels of impairment, specific management issues for the intellectually disabled including comorbid seizure disorders and use of behavioural strategies, substance use, harmful use, addiction, dependence and other definitions, determinants of substance use and abuse, substance use and precipitation of mental illness, motivational intervention, models of change and harm minimisation in the area of dependency, and HIV and substance misuse. This subject will be taught using computer-mediated communication, video tapes, video conferencing, residential schools and mailed out text-based materials, as well as on-campus seminars and tutorials.

Assessment Study journal: 30% · Written assessment of 4000 words: 70%

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