June 14, 2011July 19, 2011(Assignment 2 due)Social Work 612: Mental Health and Mental Disorders in Children and Youth Spring/Summer 2011 (Tuesday8:10am-noon) Beth Sherman, Associate Clinical Faculty Office Hours: By appointment (734) 222-5940 (best time to reach me by phone is 9am-9 pm) or by e-mail at: [email protected] Office: Room 3784 School of Social Work 1. Course Description: This course will present the state-of-the-art knowledge and research on mental disorders of children and youth, as well as factors that promote mental health and prevent mental disorders in children and youth. Biopsychosocial theories of resiliency, coping, etiology, the impact of mental health disorders on children and family members, and the relationship of ability, age, class, color, culture, ethnicity, family structure, gender (including gender identity and gender expression) marital status, national origin, race, religion or spirituality, sex, and sexual orientation to mental disorders will be examined. Classification systems of child and youth functioning and disorders will be presented such as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition (DSM-IV), International Classification of Diseases-10th Edition -(ICD-X), and DC:0-3 Diagnostic System of the National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. The impact of labeling and stigma will be explored in order to develop critical thinking about how mental disorders of children and youth are conceptualized. 2. Course Content: This course will examine psychological, behavioral, and developmental disorders of childhood and adolescence. The particular disorders will be considered in broader psychosocial and ecological contexts which promote mental health or create and maintain symptomatic functioning. These broader contexts will be presented through an overview of theory and research on the following issues: 1) a transactional and developmental perspective on the etiology of mental disorders; 2) parent-infant attachment and family dynamics; 3) risk and protective factors (including individual, familial, and socio-cultural factors) and resiliency; and 4) stress and trauma theory, including the impact of maltreatment and loss. The following conditions will be reviewed in terms of presentation, etiology, prevalence, incidence, and assessment at different developmental stages and gender distributions:1) relationship disorders; 2) stress-response syndromes, including post-traumatic stress disorder and acute stress reactions; 3) depression, bipolar disorder, and other mood problems; 4) anxiety disorders; 5) developmental disorders; 6) disruptive behavior disorders including ADHD and conduct disorder; 7) communication and learning disorders; 8) eating disorders; 9) substance use disorders; and 10) childhood schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. Attention will be given to the analysis and assessment of strengths and adaptive functions that may coexist with disorders, as well as to issues in defining mental health and mental disorders in cultural terms. Evidence-based interventions of a psychosocial and pharmacological nature will be reviewed across each of the mental health problems identified above. 3. Course Objectives: Upon completion of the course, students will be able to: 1. Identify factors influencing the development, natural history, expression, and outcomes of mental health and mental disorders of children and youth at the individual, familial, cultural/ethnic, and social levels. 2. Describe the transactional processes among the above factors which influence the etiology and maintenance of mental disorders. 3. Describe and critique classification systems of mental disorders of children and adolescents, particularly the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition. 4. Identify and differentiate a number of disorders of children and adolescents and apply them to the evaluation of clients. 5. Demonstrate empathic appreciation of the client's experience of disorders from the perspective of the client's inner world. 6. Demonstrate an understanding of the impact of the child's or adolescent's difficulties on parents and other family members. 7. Discuss common value and ethical concerns related to mental health and mental disorders of children and youth. 8. Demonstrate knowledge of important developmental, structural, and contextual theories, research findings, and core concepts related to mental health problems in youth. 9. Assess and diagnose mental health problems in youth using widely applied nosologies such as DSM-IV and ICD-10. 4. Course Design: The instructor will select required and recommended readings. Class format will include lecture, discussion, case analysis, and viewing of videotapes. Written assignments will integrate theory, research, and case analysis and will be applied to the student's practicum work when possible. Students are encouraged to present relevant case material from their practicum or place of employment (keeping confidentiality in mind) to enhance class discussions.5. Relationship of the Course to Four Curricular Themes: • Multiculturalism and Diversity will be addressed through discussion of incidence and prevalence of child and adolescent mental disorders, as related to persons differing in ability, age, class, color, culture, ethnicity, family structure, gender (including gender identity and gender expression), marital status, national origin, race, religion or spirituality, sex, and sexual orientation, health status, and SES.. • Social Justice and Social Change will be addressed through discussion of the misapplication of mental health diagnoses based on race, class, and gender bias, and the potential impact of poverty, discrimination, and disenfranchisement on the development of mental disorders and disorders of parenting. • Promotion, Prevention, Treatment, and Rehabilitation will be addressed through discussion of protective factors which promote resiliency and positive adaptation. • Behavioral and Social Science Research will inform the entire content of this course, which will draw especially on current research in the following areas: developmental psychopathology, attachment, risk, resiliency and coping, trauma and maltreatment, and studies of particular disorders. 6. Relationship of the Course to Social Work Ethics and Values: Ethical and value issues related to all course topics will be identified