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2020/2021

Assessment and Intervention in Child and Adolescent Mental Health

Code: 43419 ECTS Credits: 6
Degree Type Year Semester
4314949 General Health Psychology OB 1 1
The proposed teaching and assessment methodology that appear in the guide may be subject to changes as a result of the restrictions to face-to-face class attendance imposed by the health authorities.

Contact

Name:
Lourdes Ezpeleta Ascaso
Email:
Lourdes.Ezpeleta@uab.cat

Use of Languages

Principal working language:
catalan (cat)

Teachers

Joaquim Puntí Vidal
Maria Esther Trepat de Ancos

Prerequisites

None

Objectives and Contextualisation

The objective of this module is to perform an in-depth examination of the biological and psychosocial factors associated with mental health problems in childhood and adolescence, as well as the procedures to evaluate them and to intervene in them at an individual, family and / or community level, or, if necessary, refer them to a corresponding specialist.

The module aims to address the most prevalent problems and disorders in childhood and adolescence, as well as those which, although appearing less frequently, the general health psychologist should know and identify to be able to refer to a specialist.

Each study unit will comprehensively analyse:

·         the clinical practice guide

·         the developmental and gender characteristics

·         the ethical issues that arise in this area

·         the risk and protection factors

·         the assessment, diagnosis and differential diagnosis

·         evidence-based treatments

·         the multidisciplinary coordination the problem entails

·         the specialist referral criteria

·         Monitoring and evaluation of the effectiveness of the intervention

Competences

  • Apply the principles of bioethics and the deliberation method to professional practice, in line with Law 44/2003, of 21 November, on organisation of the healthcare professions.
  • Critically analyse and use clinical information sources.
  • Design, develop and, where appropriate, supervise and evaluate psychological intervention programmes, on the basis of the psychological evaluation and the individual and social variables of each case.
  • Formulate working hypotheses in research and critically assess information for problem-solving, using the scientific method.
  • Integrate knowledge and use it to make judgements in complex situations, with incomplete information, while keeping in mind social and ethical responsibilities.
  • Know in depth the biological and psychosocial factors associated with mental health problems and illness, especially those related to mental health.
  • Know in depth the psychological nature of human behaviour, and the social and biological factors that can affect it.
  • Know in depth the psychosocial factors associated with health problems and illness.
  • Know the framework for the activity of general health psychologists and be able to call in the corresponding specialists.
  • Plan, carry out and, where appropriate, supervise the psychological evaluation of human behaviour and of the psychological factors associated with health problems, in order to evaluate the latter.
  • Use acquired knowledge as a basis for originality in the application of ideas, often in a research context.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Design individual treatment programmes for children and adolescents that include measures to prevent relapses.
  2. Evaluate the effectiveness of psychological intervention in children and adolescents.
  3. Formulate guidelines for parents to promote the development of children and adolescents.
  4. Formulate questions, objectives and research hypotheses appropriately for problem solving in the field of children's mental health.
  5. Gather and analyse information consistently with the research objectives and hypotheses, and interpret the results obtained appropriately, acknowledging the impact on individuals and communities in the field of children's mental health.
  6. Help families to decide between treatment options.
  7. Identify and analyse the impact of mental health problems and illness on the family and psychosocial environment.
  8. Identify cases in the field of children's mental health that call for the involvement of an appropriate specialist or healthcare unit, or for an interdisciplinary approach to be adopted, and describe the procedures to be applied.
  9. Identify ethically inappropriate professional actions in the field of children's mental health.
  10. Identify risk and protection factors regarding children's mental health problems, depending on age and gender.
  11. Identify the advances in knowledge of mental disorders in children and adolescents (definition and classification, epidemiological trends, causal processes and comorbidity).
  12. Identify the mechanisms of action and the impact of risk and protection factors for mental disorders in childhood and adolescence.
  13. Identify the most suitable research methods and designs for responding to a particular problem in the field of children's mental health.
  14. Identify the resources and mechanisms for responding to mental health problems and illness.
  15. Identify, choose and critically analyse the relevant clinical documents for professional activity in the field of children's mental health.
  16. Integrate knowledge and use it to make judgements in complex situations, with incomplete information, while keeping in mind social and ethical responsibilities.
  17. Integrate the information from the evaluation of mental disorders in children and adolescents to offer guidance on treatment that includes priority objectives.
  18. Integrate the information from the evaluation so as to make diagnoses, including the differential diagnosis of mental disorders in children and adolescents.
  19. Know the clinical characteristics of disorders at different ages and gender differences, in order to engage in clinical practice from a perspective of evolution and gender.
  20. Know the evidence-based techniques, procedures and protocols for evaluating mental problems and disorders in children and adolescents.
  21. Know the protocols for acting in the face of particular risk factors in childhood and adolescence.
  22. Use acquired knowledge as a basis for originality in the application of ideas, often in a research context.

Content

1.     Detection and treatment of developmental problems in childhood

2.     Assessment and treatment of stressful life events

3.     Assessment and treatment of attention deficit disorder/hyperactivity disorder

4.     Assessment and treatment of learning disorders

5.     Assessment and treatment of autistic spectrum disorders

6.     Assessment and treatment of behavioural disorders

7.     Assessment and treatment of anxiety disorders

8.     Assessment and treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder

9.     Assessment and treatment of depression, suicide and self-harm behaviours

10.  Assessment and treatment of risk behaviours that may require clinical care

11.  Assessment and treatment of eating disorders

Methodology

Seminars

Seminars of clinical problems (Problem-based learning-PBL)

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
E3. PBL 12 0.48
Workshop lectures 25.5 1.02
Type: Supervised      
Supervision of works and reports 7.5 0.3
Type: Autonomous      
PBL materials preparation 43.5 1.74
PBL working 18 0.72
Study 43.5 1.74

Assessment

The subject is passed when a weighted average qualification is ≥ 5.

Evidence 1: the author is the student; hard copy Week 17

Evidence 2: the author is the student; hard copy Week 17

Evidence 3: the author is the student; hard and soft copy. Weeks 9 and 15

Resit: Students who have carried out, completed and submitted all the assessment evidences and have obtained a continuous assessment qualification (weighted average qualification) between 3.5 and 4.9 can present a resit test. The test will have a maximum value of 2 points that will be added to the previous qualification. A minimum of 1 point must be obtained to add the score to the previous qualification. The resit will be focused on all learning evidences.

A student who has provided learning evidences with a weight equal to or greater than 4 points (40%) cannot be a "non-evaluable" student in the official records.

The document with the assessment guidelines of the School of Psychology is located at

https://www.uab.cat/web/estudiar/graus/graus/avaluacions-1345722525858.html

 

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
E1. Exam 40% 0 0 2, 21, 19, 20, 1, 3, 9, 8, 11, 10, 12, 14, 7, 15, 18, 6
E2. Multiple choice exam 30% 0 0 21, 19, 20, 11, 10, 12, 14, 7
E3. PBL 30% 0 0 2, 21, 20, 13, 1, 4, 3, 9, 8, 10, 12, 14, 7, 15, 17, 18, 6, 16, 5, 22

Bibliography

Carrasco, M.A., Ramírez, I.M., y del Barrio, V. (2013). Evaluacion Clínica: Diagnóstico, formulación y
contrastación de los trastornos psicológicos. Madrid: Sanz y Torres.
Comeche, M. I., & Vallejo, M. A. (2012). Manual de terapia de conducta en la infància (2a. Ed.). Madrid:
Dykinson.
Christophersen, E.R. & Mortweet, S.L. (Eds.) (2009). Treatments That Work With Children: Empirically
Supported Strategies for Managing Childhood Problems. Washington: American Psychological Association.
Garcia, N. y Noguerol, V. (2007). Infancia maltratada: Manual de Intervención. Madrid: EOS.
Guías de pràctica clínica del Sistema Nacional de Salud http://portal.guiasalud.es
Guías de pràctica clínica del National Institute for Health and Care Excellence http://guidance.nice.org.uk
Costas, C. (2003). Avaluació psicològica del desenvolupament infantil: des del naixement fins als sis anys.
Bellaterra: Servei de Publicacions de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Ezpeleta, L. (2005). Factores de riesgo en psicopatología del desarrollo. Barcelona: Masson.
Ezpeleta, L. Y Toro, J. (2014). Psicopatología del desarrollo. Madrid: Pirámide.
Hunsley, J. & Mash, E.J. (2008). Assessments that Works. New York: Oxford University Press.
Martín, J. (2005). La intervención ante el maltrato infantil: Una revisión del sistema de protección. Madrid:
Psicología Pirámide
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Nathan, P.E. & Gorman, J.M. (Eds.) (2007). A Guide to Treatments that Work (3rd. Ed.). New York: Oxford
University Press.
Pérez, M. (2006).Guía de tratamientos psicológicos eficaces III:Infancia y adolescencia. Pirámide.