4 ECVET/ECTS / EQF Level 7 / 3rd, 4th, and 5th year of study – IDAP
Module Description:
This module provides a comprehensive overview of child and adolescent mental health and psychopathology, including the etiology, diagnosis, clinical presentation, and treatment of various developmental, emotional, and behavioural disorders. The focus is on recognising risk and protective factors, as well as integrating psychotherapeutic and interdisciplinary approaches in work with children and young people. The module links contemporary theoretical concepts of mental health with practical clinical skills in psychotherapeutic assessment and interventions.
The module includes:
- Developmentally Specific Aspects of Mental Health – understanding mental health across different stages of childhood and adolescence.
- Classification and Diagnosis – an overview of DSM-5 and ICD-11 diagnostic criteria for child and adolescent psychopathology.
- Neurobiological Foundations – the role of the brain in the development of mental disorders in children and adolescents.
- Disorders in childhood and adolescence, including:
- Emotional regulation disorders (anxiety and depressive disorders)
- Behavioural disorders and oppositional defiant disorder
- ADHD and conduct disorders
- Eating disorders
- Neurodevelopmental disorders
- Trauma- and stress-related disorders
- Psychotic disorders in adolescence
- Borderline disorders
- Interdisciplinary Approach to Treatment – collaboration among psychotherapists, psychiatrists, neurologists, psychologists, paediatricians, and school systems in the treatment of children and adolescents.
- Psychotherapeutic and Pharmacological Approaches – integration of therapeutic methods and the use of pharmacotherapy in accordance with the developmental needs of children and adolescents.
Learning Outcomes:
Competencies
By the end of the module, students will be able to:
a) Understand the integrated health approach through salutogenesis (recognition of health determinants and promotional and preventive activities) and pathogenesis (recognition of clinical manifestations of various psychopathological conditions in children and adolescents).
b) Analyse psychopathological symptoms in the context of developmental stages and family dynamics.
c) Develop the ability for differential diagnosis and recognition of comorbidities in work with children and adolescents.
Knowledge
By the end of the module, participants will have acquired:
a) Knowledge of the main categories of mental disorders in children and adolescents according to DSM-5 and ICD-11 classification.
b) Understanding of etiological risk factors that contribute to the development of psychopathological symptoms, as well as protective factors that can mitigate or prevent them.
c) Knowledge of the principles of psychotherapeutic and multidisciplinary treatment of mental disorders in children and adolescents.
Skills
By the end of the module, participants will develop:
a) The ability to recognise and clinically assess risk symptoms in children and adolescents.
b) Competence to collaborate with various professionals to ensure optimal treatment of children with mental health issues.
c) Application of appropriate psychotherapeutic interventions based on the individual needs of the client.
Assessment of Knowledge and Competencies:
The module is assessed through:
– Written assignment on the topic of differential diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders in children and adolescents
– Clinical case analysis
– Group discussion and reflective essay
Total Learning Hours
| Total learning hours: 120 hours | Assessment of knowledge (examinations and presentations): 10 hours |
| Contact hours: 70 hours | Independent study: 40 hours |