Undergraduate

Diverse perspectives on mental health

On this page

• What you will study
• Entry
• If you have a disability or additional requirement
• Study materials
• Teaching and assessment
• Students also studied
• Future availability

What causes mental distress and what can be done about it? What aspects of the external environment affect mental health? This course examines how social, environmental, economic and political factors shape and constrain our understandings and experiences of mental health and distress. It explores the wide range of diverse and frequently competing perspectives that characterise the world of mental health and looks at the impact of these perspectives on mental health practice and service provision. The course will appeal to anyone – lay or professional – who seeks greater understanding of this fascinating and complex area of service provision.

Course facts

Register for the course

This course is available for study in the countries shown. Fees and financial support may vary by country.

What you will study

The course is complementary to our other Level 2 course in mental health, Challenging ideas in mental health (K272). Where K272 focuses on a holistic approach to different dimensions of the individual, K225 places its emphasis on the social. You examine a range of lay, bio-medical, psychological, psychotherapeutic and social perspectives for explaining mental distress and supporting people with mental health problems. You learn from the written and spoken accounts of people who have experienced mental distress.

By the end of the course you should have developed knowledge and understanding of:

• how social, environmental, economic and political elements shape experiences of mental health and distress, and their implications for ethical and value-based practice
• the central importance of service users’ perspectives
• the role of ethics and values in the context of mental health and distress
• the range and complexity of conflicting and complementary perspectives on mental health and distress
• the impact of diverse perspectives on mental health practice.

K225 also provides underpinning knowledge and understanding for the Ten Essential Shared Capabilities framework for the mental health workforce.

The course is divided into four study blocks.

Block 1 – Exploring Perspectives introduces the notion that there are very different views about what constitutes mental health and distress, and considers the role of the external environment – in particular social, political, environmental and economic factors – in shaping these views. The impact of labels and language used to describe mental health, and the ways in which cultural factors interact with mental health and distress are discussed, as well as debates on different ways of understanding mental distress.

Block 2 – Social and Ethical Contexts begins by examining the ways in which ethics and values shape and constrain understandings and practice in the world of mental health. The block raises challenging questions about the role of mental health legislation, the impact of ‘place’ on mental wellbeing, and the relationship between mental health and work. Different ways of thinking about gender and sexuality and the ways in which these can help us to appreciate some people’s experiences of mental distress are debated, and the block concludes with a discussion of how families, in their many forms, may experience and/or contribute to mental health and distress.

Block 3 – Understanding Experience The role of medical and physical treatments is examined in the context of mental distress. Problems around the definition and measurement of suicide, the complex relationship between mental distress, criminal behaviour and imprisonment, and the diverse perspectives and dilemmas relating to self-harm are discussed. The unit ends by looking at the contribution of art, culture and creative activities to mental wellbeing.

Block 4 – Perspectives on Practice looks at different types of support, including that provided by friends, relatives and neighbours, and the ways in which service users and professional workers relate to each other. It examines issues around the evaluation of mental health services, with particular emphasis on the concept of quality, and explores user involvement in service provision. Different approaches to mental health promotion are discussed. The concluding unit provides an opportunity to consolidate and revise what you’ve learnt throughout the course.

Entry

This is a Level 2 course and you need to have some knowledge of health and social care and a readiness to study at this level, obtained either through Level 1 study (our Level 1 course An introduction to health and social care (K101) would be ideal preparation) or by doing equivalent work at another university.

If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.

Preparatory work

You will receive guidance of how to get started online in your first course mailing. This will provide you with information on using your computer for OU study and working with the Computing Guide. For example, it explains how to access and use your website and online discussion forums. If you have time before the course starts, you can work through this and explore all the online services available to you.

If you have a disability or additional requirement

Written transcripts of any audio components and Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) versions of printed material are available. Some Adobe PDF components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader. Other alternative formats of the study materials may be available in the future. Our Services for disabled students website has the latest information about availability.

If you are a new student, or new to courses using a computer or the internet, you will need to inform us of your particular needs as soon as possible, as some of our support services may take several weeks to arrange. Details of how to do this and our range of support services are described in our publication Meeting Your Needs.

You can also find information about accessible study materials, financial support and the Disabled Students' Allowance, equipment and other services, on our Services for disabled students website. It also includes our contact details for advice and support both before you register and while you are studying.

Study materials

What's included

Study books, other printed materials, CDs and DVD. You will have access to a website through which teaching and library resources are available. Electronic versions of most of the printed study materials are provided on the website.

You will need

A DVD player and a CD player.

The audio-visual components of this course are delivered on a DVD that will play on a standard DVD player and television. If you want to view this on a computer, it will need a DVD-ROM drive and software for viewing DVDs.

Computing requirements

This course includes online computer activities – you can access these using a web browser that can play Flash and Shockwave.

You will need internet access and a computer. If you have purchased a new computer since 2005 it should meet your course computing requirements. Check our Technical Requirements section if your computer is older than this or is otherwise unusual.

Teaching and assessment

Support from your tutor

You will have a tutor who will help you with the study material and mark and comment on your written work, and whom you can ask for advice and guidance. We may also be able to offer group tutorials or day schools that you are encouraged to attend. Where your tutorials are held will depend on the distribution of students taking the course.  Contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service if you want to know more about study with The Open University before you register.

Assessment

The assessment details for this course can be found in the facts box above.

You will be expected to submit your tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) online through the eTMA system unless there are some difficulties which prevent you from doing so. In these circumstances, you must negotiate with your tutor to get their agreement to submit your assignment on paper.

Students also studied

Students who studied this course also studied at some time:

• Challenging ideas in mental health (K272)
• An introduction to health and social care (K101)
• Death and dying (K260)
• Applied social work practice (K216)
• Managing care (K303)

Future availability

The details given here are for the course that starts in February 2013. We expect it to be available once a year.

Fees 2012

See fees and funding options for study from September 2012.

Study explained

Financial support

- find out if you qualify for support with your fees with our eligibility checker.

Study explained

- all you need to know about distance learning with the OU.

Student Reviews

very interesting course. I really enjoyed this course and found the support from my tutor really helpful. Overall a brillant ...
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Your questions

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Or contact an adviser in our Student Registration & Enquiry Service Email or call +44(0) 845 300 60 90+44(0) 845 366 60 35

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