Mental Health Disorders in Infancy

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2015:

170 hours total

Clinical experience in a peri-natal or child health, mental health or child welfare setting.

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

This subject will focus on psychopathology in infancy and early childhood including epidemiology, risk and protective factors for mental health disorders, the clinical features of common mental health disorders of infancy, and diagnostic classification systems.

Students should note that attending and undertaking activities in this subject will not be possible without at current Working with Children Check.

To equip students to recognise infant and toddler psychopathology and mental health disorders.

To equip students to appraise, interpret and synthesise clinical material and make a differential diagnosis of an infant or toddler with an infant mental health disorder.

Students will be able to:

1. Ascertain when an infant has a mental health disorder or parent–infant relationship disorder
2. Navigate and apply diagnostic criteria from DC 0-3 Classification System to clinical infant cases
3. Synthesise clinical material and make a differential diagnosis of an infant or toddler with an infant mental health disorder

Oral presentation to occur during class between weeks 3 and 11 (worth 15%)
Written short answer questions totalling 1,500 words due end of semester (worth 30%)
Written case study of 2,000 words due end of semester (worth 55%)
Participation during class discussion and inspection of logbook (hurdle requirement)

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

It is required that applicants have a Working With Children Check before commencing this subject.