Professional Ethics and Psychopharmacology | Units of study... | Swinburne University of Technology

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PSY80014 12.5 Credit Points Hawthorn

Duration

1 semester / teaching period

Contact hours

36 hours plus two 3 hour workshops

On-campus unit delivery combines face-to-face and digital learning.

Prerequisites

Admission to the Graduate Diploma of Science (Clinical Psychology), Doctor of Philosophy (Clinical Psychology), Master of Psychology (Clinical Psychology) program or Master of Psychology (Counselling Psychology) programs..

Corequisites

Nil

Aims and objectives

Aims:
This unit of study has two aims. First, it provides an overiview of critical ethical issues relevant to the practicing psychologist and encourages students to engage with the nuances of common ethical dilemmas. Second, it introduces neurobiological models of the major classes of mental disorder so that students can understand the neurobiology of disorders and the neurobiological targets of pharmacotherapy.

Unit Learning Outcomes:

ULO:
1. Evaluate psychopharmacology in the treatment of a range of mental health disorders
2. Have a body of knowledge that includes the extended understanding of the Australian Psychological Society Code of Ethics andEthical Guidelines as they apply to confidentiality and informed consent, professional boundaries, report writing and record keeping, and cultural issues

3.Determine the major neurobiological pathways implicated in mental health disorders and the pharmacological treatments that act on these pathway

Unit information in detail

- Teaching methods, assessment and content.

Teaching methods

	Hours per week	Number of Weeks	Total
Face to Face Contact Seminar	3	12	36
Online Contact	N/A
Specified Learning Activities	N/A
Unspecified Learning Activities Independent learning			114
TOTAL			150 hours/12.5cp

Assessment

Case Studies Individual 50%
Presentations Group 50%

In addition to existing structures, DPsych students enrolled in these units will be required to (a) attend 2 workshops (3 hours each - hurdle requirement) AND (b) submit 2 reports or essays (each 500 words – graded as pass/fail)

Proposed examples of advanced training workshops

1. Advanced ethics (Ann Knowles)

2. Advanced psychopharmacology (Scholey)

Content

In the ethics component, the topics covered will include: confidentiality and informed consent, professional boundaries, report writing and record keeping, and cultural issues.

In the psychopharmacology component, topics covered may include:
• Principles of chemical transmission, the action of disease and drugs on chemical transmission.

• Neurochemical bases of bipolar depression, anxiety disorders, psychosis, dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

• Specific neurochemical actions of mood stabilizers, anxiolytics and sedative hypnotics, antipsychotics and cognitive enhancers.

Study resources

- Reading materials, text books and recommended reading.

Reading materials

Koocher, G P & Keith-Spiegel,P, (Eds.), Ethics in psychology, Oxford University Press, New York,1998.
Morrissey, S & Reddy, P (Eds.), Ethics and professional practice for psychologists, Thomson Social Science Press, Melbourne, 2006.

White, J, Day A, & Hackett, L, Writing reports for court, Australian Academic Press, Queensland, 2007.

Text books

Ethics
Australian Psychological Society, Code of ethics, 2007.
Australian Psychological Society, Ethical guidelines (9th edition).

Psychopharmacology

Kaufman, DM, Clinical neurology for psychiatrists, 5th edn, Saunders, New York, 2001.

Leonard, BE, Fundamentals of Psychopharmacology, 3rd edn, Wiley, London, 2003.

Stahl, SM, Essential Psychopharmacology: Neuroscientific basis and practical applications, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2000.