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Queen Mary, University of LondonMSc and PG Diploma – Mental Health:Psychological Therapies or Transcultural Mental Healthcare Distance Learning and On Site Learning

Contents

Aim and Structure 4Courses and Pathways 5Teaching and Study Time 6Teaching and Learning Strategies 6Modes of Study 8Distance Learning 8How this course will enhance your knowledge, skills and career prospects 9Testimonials: College Prize Winners and Graduate Profiles 11Who should apply? – How to apply 16Student support 17Contact us 17Course staff 18

Courses and Pathways

Transcultural MentalHealthcareThe Transcultural Mental Healthcare pathwayprimarily focuses on cultural capability in healthand social care, and provides training in healthservices research. Students will develop aknowledge base derived from anthropological,medical, sociological, epidemiological,pharmacological disciplines, as well as culturalunderstandings of the presentation, expressionand mamagement of psychological distressamongst ethnic minorities. Students undertake aplacement related to Transcultural MentalHealthcare for improving reflective practice andcompelte a research project or systematicliterature review on a related topic.

Psychological TherapiesThe Psychological Therapies pathway focuses on developing an understanding of the mainpsychotherapeutic approaches available, andcontemporary issues and debates in thepsychological therapies field. Students will beintroduced to the major psychological therapiese.g. cognitive-behavioural, cognitive,psychoanalytic, group, individual, and familytherapies etc.

Consideration will also be given to ethical issues,and the methodological difficulties associatedwith carrying out research in this area. Studentsare invited to undertake a supervised clinicalpractice on one long case or group, or two brieftreatments, or other therapeutic or supportiveinterventions that provide an experience ofpsychological thinking and practice.

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Aims and Structure of the course

The primary aims of thecourse are to developstudent’s ability to thinkcritically about working inmental health and mentalhealth research and toprovide a greater knowledgeand skills whilst also impartingthe professional values andattitudes necessary in healthand social care. The two programmes of study are: TransculturalMental Healthcare and Psychological Therapies.The first module provides students with a reviewof advanced and core mental health skills, andknowledge necessary in assessment, diagnosisand formulation, with a strong emphasis ondeveloping evidence based practice and corecompetencies in these areas. Module 1 alsooffers a refresher in basic study skills, criticalreading, and reviewing and writing. In moduletwo, the specialist course pathways offered are

Transcultural Mental Healthcare pathway and thePsychological Therapies pathway. In eachpathway, students are provided with lectures oncontemporary and classical issues in these fields.In the third module students undertake anoriginal research project or a ctritical reviewwhilst training in research skills. The course ismultidisciplinary, and we have establishedourselves as a leading world centre offering aninnovative curriculum using blended learning,and innovative group and individual learningmethods.

The MSc Mental Health programme consists ofthree modules, each lasting 12 weeks, and eachwith 12 core teaching and learning days. Module1 and 3 are shared modules irrespective ofpathway. The choice of pathway in module 2determines which MSc course is followed:

Module 1: Advanced Mental Health Assessment

Module 2: Psychological Therapies or Transcultural MentalHealthcare

Module 3: Research Methods

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Teaching and Study time

Teaching andlearning strategies

The weekly content consistsof approximately:• One full taught day a week (approximately 9hours) using a variety of methods of deliveryincluding lectures, problem based learning,group work and academic tutorials Thematerials are all available online for all students,including Distance Learners. On Site Learnersare required to attend campus sessions inperson.

• Supervised psychological practice placementor work placement (minimum four hours perweek)

• 16 – 24 hours self study time

• The Academic year begins in September and ends in August.

Study Days are: Module 1 Module 2 Module 3

Transcultural Wednesday Wednesday WednesdayMentalHealthcare:

Psychological Wednesday Tuesday WednesdayTherapies:

Student learning is supportedthough an online systemwhich provides an interactiveand secure space forstudents to access all coursematerials, including audioand video content. The system also provides the hub for allcommunication within the course usingintegrated mail and discussion boards.Timetables and course information, includingassessment dates and content, and lecturecontent are all available via the VLE (VirtualLearning Environment) to On Site and DistanceLearning students.

Lectures employ a range of methods includingProblem Based Learning (PBL) and groupdiscussions of organisational and individualpatient management problems. Tutorials addresscritical appraisal, qualitative and quantitativemethods, writing for academic purposes, writingresearch proposals and grant applications.Tutorials address core skills for researchincluding critical appraisal, qualitative andquantitative methods, writing skills, writing apaper, and grant applications. These sessions arefacilitated by Queen Mary staff and associatedtutors from collaborating institutions. Studentswill also present to their peers to develop theirresearch presentation and peer review skills. A core focus of the course is a culture ofinterdisciplinary collaborative work.

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Modes of Study Distance Learning

Full-time or Part-timeThe postgraduate programmes leading to MScand Diploma qualifications are available as full-time and part-time courses:

MScFull time: all three modules are completed in one year

Part time: the first two modules are completed inyear one, with the third (research module) beingcompleted in year two. this offers the option ofundertaking a more protracted piece of researchfor the thesis.

Postgraduate DiplomaFull time: both modules one and two arecompleted in two semesters (7 months)

Part time: one module is completed each year.This pathway, although possible, is inadvisable as it will fragment the period of learning andrequires more complex arrangements forstudents. However, where it is the only way astudent can undertake a course, and the studenthas the aptitude to succeed under these difficultcircumstances, this option is available.

Our interdisciplinary MSc programme is alsodelivered by Distance Learning (DL) through theuse of e-learning technology to develop acooperative virtual learning classroom. The DLprogramme is available to students anywhere inthe world where internet access is available. Thisallows students to live away from campus whileenjoying full engagement with all learningmaterial, lectures, tutors and other students.

Online students have opportunities to share ininformal and formal spaces using a variety ofresources such as discussion boards and livechat. Scheduled live classes are facilitated by aQMUL tutor, one day a week at a scheduled time.These are delivered through Adobe Connect, aninternet based meeting space where documentscan be shared and commented on through video,chat as well as text.

All pre-recorded lectures and other learningmaterial will be available so that the learners canengage with the material prior to the scheduledlive seminars and tutorials. All live classes andtutorials will be held on a weekly basis and arealso accessible through the internet. Students willbe required to access all lectures and complete allassignments on-line and attend webhosted virtualclasses on a weekly basis. This allows forengaging real-time lectures, problem basedlearning opportunities, critical reviews, groupdiscussions and presentations using softwarefreely available for most modern computers.

Students will also have access to on-line blogs,chat rooms and other webhosted activitiesdesigned to enhance the distance learningexperience and promote collaborative learningwith other students on the course.

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How this course will enhance yourknowledge, skills and career prospects?

The course provides studentswith an appropriate reflectivelearning environmentthrough which they mightaddress the limitations oftheir current knowledge,skills, values andcompetencies. Students will discover, alongside other students,their own learning needs and objectives. Thesewill be transferable skills. More specificallystudents will learn how to improve theirassessment of mental health problems. This isnow a core competency since the development ofcommunity care where multiple professions haveto be responsible for the assessment andmanagement of mental health problems indifferent cultural groups. Secondly the specific

strength of this MSc is that, students will developa knowledge base derived from multipledisciplines (social anthropological, medical,sociological, epidemiological andpharmacological understandings of thepresentation, expression and management of distress amongst different populations) ormultiple modalities of therapy: individual, group,analytic, cognitive etc.

Masters students will also learn of themethodological problems in conducting researchand will develop at least one research proposal,conduct a pilot study and undertake at least onepiece of research work during the MSc. They willbe encouraged to do this in a collaborative formatdemonstrating the strengths and value of workingin manner that is now considered necessary toachieve high quality outcomes for research.Students will complete original research work,and will be encouraged to publish anddisseminate the work.

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College Prize WinnerTestimonials

For the past three years, a student from ourMental Health programme has been the recipientof the highly esteemed Queen Mary, University ofLondon, College Prize. Please see belowtestimonials from Niall Crumlish (TransculturalMental Healthcare) and Melissa Harper(Psychological Therapies).

College Prize Winner Niall Crumlish 2009

“I undertook the MSc inTranscultural Mental Health in QMUL in 2008-09. I live in Dublin and was not in aposition to attend QMUL so

instead I completed a distance learning MSc inone year. I don't feel I missed out by choosing thedistance learning option: teaching for the DLstudents in weekly extended Skype sessions, wasauthoritative and provocative, as well as fun andinformal. My reasons for choosing this MSc werethat I had lived in northern Malawi for 18 monthsuntil 2007, and wanted to hold on to and build onwhat I had learned there; and that the culturalprofile of Dublin had changed irrevocably in theprior ten years (the mythical and now extinct'Celtic Tiger'). There was also an aspiration in ournational mental health policy document that

teams specialised in the mental health care ofrefugees and people seeking asylum should bedeveloped. This specific area was an interest ofmine and one I was in a position to pursue in myMSc thesis, later published as a paper in theJournal of Nervous and Mental Disease, entitled"A systematic review of treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder among refugees andasylum seekers". Published in April 2010, mypaper has been cited about 15 times and I amgrateful that the MSc course gave me the timeand excuse to pursue that work. I now work as aconsultant psychiatrist in central Dublin and I ama clinical lecturer in Trinity College, Dublin, anddeputy editor of the Irish Journal of PsychologicalMedicine.”

REVIEW ARTICLE A Systematic Review of Treatments for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Among Refugees and Asylum-Seekers Niall Crumlish, MSc, MRCPsych,*† and Killian O’Rourke, MD, MRCPI‡§ Key Words: Post-traumatic stress disorder,refugees, psychotherapy, review. (J Nerv Ment Dis 2010;198: 237–251)

The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease •Volume 198, Number 4, April 2010

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Graduate ProfilesCollege Prize WinnerTestimonials (cont)

GraduateprofileJason Chalangary

Studied:MSc Mental HealthPsychological Therapies

Graduated: 2010 MSc with Distinction

Currently: Senior Support Worker; Psychiatry,and PBL Tutor on MSc Mental Healthprogramme, QMUL

Why did you choose Queen Mary?: I chose QueenMary because it genuinely represents its localpopulation and seemed to provide an opportunityto network with a variety of academics that couldhelp me develop my research interests and giveme insight into my long-term goal of working as aclinical psychologist. Being part of the Universityof London also attracted me to Queen Marybecause the reputation for world-leadingresearch will help in getting a job abroad in case Idecide to emigrate later on in life.

What did you gain from your time at Queen Mary?:Friends, professional contacts, and animpressive insight into real-world psychologicalpractice and theory that undergraduates wishthey had. Not to mention that thanks to thiscourse I feel able to conduct my ownindependent research which I did not aftercompleting undergraduate study. On paper it’seven more simple; before I did this MSc I got noresponse from job applications to assistantpsychologist posts, now I’ve had invitations to

College Prize Winner Melissa Harper 2011

“The MSc in Mental HealthPsychological Therapies atQueen Mary University ofLondon was inspiring,

captivatingly interesting and providedindispensable teaching for contemporary mentalhealth practitioners in ever increasingly multi-cultural health services. The system of guestlecturers providing workshops and seminarsmade the teaching relevant, current and expertlyinformed and delivered. The guidance I receivedfrom my MSc supervisor was encouraging andsupportive yet not overpowering, meaning that Icould exercise creativity and autonomy inundertaking my research project. I received theprincipal’s prize for my thesis, for which I am inthe process of editing for publication, and I hopeto become involved with further research in thefuture. I am currently living in Geneva(Switzerland) studying French for an entranceexam for the University of Geneva in order toqualify as a psychologist here.

In an ideal world, every mental health careprofessional would undertake a course such as this in order to ensure culturally competentpractice and informed decision making wheninfluencing care pathways for patients. MyQueen Mary experience was undoubtedly an enriching and positive one! “

Thesis, Summer 2011, Melissa Harper Adult Attachment Style as a Risk Factor forMaternal Postnatal Depression: A SystematicReview

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interview. Now if I can just find an MSc ininterview skills I’d be sorted for life!

What are your career plans in the next five years?:I am now getting help from Queen Mary staff inapplying for posts as an assistant psychologist topromote my chances of getting accepted on theclinical psychology doctoral programme in thefuture. They are also helping me write a final draftof my MSc Thesis to try getting published in anacademic journal.

GraduateprofileChristine Langhoff

Studied:MSc Mental HealthTranscultural MentalHealthcare

Graduated: 2008 MSc with Distinction

Currently: Trainee Clinical Psychologist(Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, UniversityCollege London)

Why did you choose Queen Mary? I chose to studythe MSc in Transcultural Mental Healthcare atQueen Mary’s as it combined my interest inpursuing a career in clinical psychology with anenthusiasm for understanding and exploringother cultures. I was excited by the prospect offurthering my knowledge of culturally competentmental healthcare. The UK is becomingincreasingly diverse and multicultural.

Consequently understanding and addressing theneeds of a multicultural population is becoming a growing challenge. I felt that a background inTranscultural Mental Healthcare alongside mywork experiences abroad would put me in a goodposition to understand the implications of socio-cultural factors in the field of clinical psychology.

What did you gain from your time at Queen Mary?I have developed an understanding of theimportance of the client’s history and socio-cultural background in the assessment and careof the individual. The knowledge gained on thecourse has certainly served me well as a traineeclinical psychologist and has helped me tobecome a more reflective practitioner with theability to adequately assess and treat people fromdifferent ethnic groups. Studying on the MSc inTranscultural Mental Healthcare has taught me to be open minded whilst at the same timeremaining observant, analytical and able torecognise the diversity and heterogeneity of my clients’ needs. Moreover, as part of my MScprogramme, I completed a placement in amultidisciplinary mental health team in the NHS.This offered me a unique insight into the workingsof the team and I was able to apply my knowledgeof transcultural issues by giving a presentation tothe team and making suggestions for serviceimprovement towards the end of my stay.

What are your career plans in the next five years?I will qualify as a clinical psychologist next yearand am hoping to find a job in oncology orpalliative care.

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Testimonials from Msc Mental Healthgraduates

Amber Johal – College Prize Winner, 2010"..I think my favourite aspect of the course wasthe wide variety of topics covered, and I feel myclinical practice benefited as a result. I wasencouraged and supported by tutors to find aresearch topic for my thesis that I was reallyinterested in, and being rewarded for this byreceiving a college prize was very overwhelming.I am now studying for a professional doctoratein Clinical Psychology at the University of EastLondon and find myself drawing everyday on theacademic and professional skills I learned whilstundertaking my MSc..."

Some comments about our teaching:– Julian Summerfield“enthusiastic teachers have been available andapproachable, providing useful support andsupervision particularly with regard to myresearch project.”

– Magella Nwimo“very supportive, approachable, evidence basedteaching skills and knowledge, and took time tolisten to individual's difficulties.”

–Dr Amjad Mahmood, Consultant Psychiatrist “The most exciting part of the course is to learnfrom the teachers who are the pioneers in thefield of Transcultural Psychiatry and are involvedin the research themselves. I definitely need toquote the names of Prof Kam Bhui, and ProfBhugra, among others, who taught a few lessons.Learning from the researchers is something veryexciting and interesting. What particularly workedwell for me was good teamwork, problem basedlearning, writing summaries and critical reviewsof the research articles, tutorial discussions andfree opportunity to get help from the courseorganizers. Support and encouragement fromthe course facilitator and lecturer Nasir Warfawas excellent which kept the course mates inclose contact and enthusiastic for the contents of the course.”

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Who can apply

Applicants should have abasic degree in a relatedsubject and/or a professionalqualification and have workedin the relevant subject areafor at least one year.We wish to include people from diverse culturaland professional backgrounds and careerpathways, especially people working in theindependent and voluntary sector. Applicants willbe interviewed at the department’s discretion,and will be required to demonstrate an aptitudeto meet the demands of the course.

How to apply:We recommend you apply online via this link:www.qmul.ac.uk/postgraduate/apply/

Just search and select the chosen course andstudy mode, and follow the instructions to applyonline.

For Psychological Therapies courses follow thislink:www.qmul.ac.uk/courses/courses.php?article_id=744&course_id=626&dept_id=17

For Transcultural Mental Healthcare coursesfollow this link:www.qmul.ac.uk/courses/courses.php?article_id=399&course_id=320&dept_id=17

International Students and Distance Learnersstudying abroad or away from our campus can findspecific Country information on the university'sadmissions requirements including EnglishLanguage certificates and pre-sessional EnglishLanguage courses via this link:www.qmul.ac.uk/international/studyabroad/apply/index.html

You will be able to apply online from these pages.Guidance notes on applying via this link:www.qmul.ac.uk/postgraduate/guidancenotes/

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Student Support Contact us

Student representatives are elected to act ascommunicators, and to participate in theStudent-Staff Liaison meetings which areconvened once each semester.

Students are fully supported by a dedicatedteam, as well as by the Course team, to facilitatestudy taking into consideration learningdifficulties where disclosed.

QMUL produces a dedicated Student Guide,which contains a wealth of information andguidance for all students.

Lesley Nott and Lenka Buss, Course Manager and Administratorsemail: tmh-admin@qmul.ac.ukTel: 020 7882 2013 Fax: 020 7882 5728www.mentalhealthcaredegrees.com andwww.wolfson.qmul.ac.uk/transcultural

Queen Mary, University of London Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine Centre for Psychiatry Old Anatomy Building Charterhouse Square London EC1M 6BQ

Course staff

Course Co-ordinator and Senior LecturerDr. Nasir Warfa: PhD in Mental Health, with anexcellent record in research and teaching aroundhealth promotion, community engagement, andmigrant mental health.email:n.warfa@qmul.ac.ukTel: +44 (0)20 7882 2035

E-Learning TechnologistMrs Tina Rowe (Tues - Wed): With a strong recordof maintaining our course materials online tomaximize student learning.email: t.rowe@qml.ac.ukTel: +44 (0)20 7882 2016

Course Director and ProfessorProfessor Kamaldeep Bhui: A consultantpsychiatrist and psychoanalytic psychotherapist,with long standing policy and research expertise,using epidemiological and anthropologicalmethods to measure and tackle inequalities, and to improve public mental health.email: k.s.bhui@qmul.ac.uk

MSc LecturerDr Yasmin KhatibWith an established background in psychiatricepidemiology, and social and cultural factorsassociated with mental health.email: yasmin.khatib@qmul.ac.ukTel: +44 (0)20 7882 2060

Course Manager and AdministratorsMrs Lenka Buss (Mon - Wed) and Ms Lesley Nott(Thur-Friday): Friendly, professional andefficient student contact points, andadministration.email: tmh-admin@qmul.ac.uk Tel: +44 (0)20 7882 2013

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Notes

Queen Mary, University of London Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine Centre for Psychiatry Old Anatomy Building Charterhouse Square London EC1M 6BQ

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