Postgraduate - UnitFBS5002 - The role of mental health in criminal offending

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2015 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

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6 points, SCA Band 1, 0.125 EFTSL

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Level	Postgraduate
Faculty	Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
Organisational Unit	School of Psychological Sciences
Offered	Caulfield First semester 2015 (Off-campus)
Coordinator(s)	Ms Teresa Flower

Synopsis

Designed to provide students with an understanding of the role of mental health in criminal offending this unit provides an overview of the relevant research (drawn from psychological, psychiatric, criminological and sociological studies), key findings and the practical implications of these findings. Different types of mental disorders (psychotic, mood, personality, substance use) associated with offending are considered and explanatory models which incorporate the role of symptoms, cognitions, biological and sociological factors are discussed.

Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:

Critically evaluate the evidence for an association between mental disorder and criminal offending;
Outline various possible explanations for the association between mental disorder and criminal offending;
Explain the concepts of 'psychopathy', 'antisocial personality disorder', 'sever personality disorder', and their relevance to offending and rehabilitation;
Explain the evidence based principles for effective rehabilitation of offenders;
Describe the role of addictions including substance abuse and pathological gambling as risk factors for offending; and
Outline methods for assessment and treatment of addictions.

Assessment

Workshop presentation / Alternative assessment (10%)
Applied learning exercise (30%)
Essay (60%)

All assessments must be passed to pass the unit.

Chief examiner(s)

Professor David Kissane

Off-campus attendance requirements

Two day on-campus workshop.