Postgraduate - UnitMCM5602 - Mindfulness-based stress management

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 3, 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	Department of General Practice
Offered	Clayton First semester 2015 (Off-campus) Clayton Second semester 2015 (Off-campus)
Coordinator(s)	Dr Craig Hassed

Synopsis

In this unit students will examines the body of scientific evidence as the basis of mind-body medicine including linking stress with mental and physical illness and with a range of unhealthy lifestyle behaviours. Linking theory with practice, it uses a deep learning methodology by teaching practical skills in the form of mindfulness-based meditation and cognitive techniques which students first learn and practice themselves so that they are better placed to teach them to their patients to carry out in a variety of clinical settings. The unit identifies the circumstances and conditions in which these techniques are most useful. The links between scientific evidence, theory and practice are covered concurrently throughout the unit.

Outcomes

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

Critically review the significant body of research linking psychological states like stress with a range of illnesses and lifestyle including disciplines within mind-body medicine such as neuroplasticity, psychoneuroimmunology and psychogenomics.
Critically review research demonstrating the benefits of psychological interventions like stress management and mindfulness.
Practice the mindfulness meditation exercises in their various forms and critique their effectiveness.
Apply the principles of the mindfulness-based cognitive strategies and critique their effectiveness.
Critically reflect on their own experience of stress and ways in which they manage it.
Develop and implement mindfulness-based stress management in practice.
Demonstrate professional skills as a counsellor in mindfulness-based stress management.

Assessment

Scientific stream:
Assignment (1,500 words) (25%)
Essay (1,500 words) (25%)

Practical stream:
Journal - personal (2,000 words) (30%)
Journal - clinical (1,000 words) (20%)

Workload requirements

120 hours.

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Craig Hassed

Prohibitions

DFM3002.