Promotion of Mental Health of Children and Adolescents

 

LEARNING OUTCOME

The purpose of the course is for the students to gain knowledge about the current trends in promoting the mental health of children and adolescents. In the context of the course, students have the opportunity to get to know the basic principles in matters of prevention and promotion of mental health of children and adolescents, assessment, understanding and recognition of child and adolescent behavior and personality. The course studies aspects of the main phenomena that manifest themselves during childhood and adolescence from the point of view of various approaches. Also, students will familiarize themselves with the challenges faced by children and adolescents and understand the various methods and approaches to prevent and deal with mental health problems of childhood and adolescence.

 

Upon successful completion of the course, the student will be able to:

• recognize and become familiar with his/her capabilities and role as a health scientist in the interdisciplinary team
• knows the factors involved in the development of mental health problems in children and adolescents
• recognizes the complex relationships between biological, psychological and social factors involved in the development and consolidation of mental health problems in children and adolescents
• distinguish and assess the psychosocial factors associated with the challenges that children and adolescents may face
• recognize early symptoms in the manifestation process of childhood and adolescent psychopathology and refer/link with appropriate (mental) health services
• understand the enhancement of protective factors and the reduction of risk factors
• designs, implements and evaluates comprehensive mental health promotion programs for children and adolescents

 

GENERAL SKILLS 

• Search, analysis and synthesis of data and information, using the necessary technologies
• Decision making
• Autonomous work
• Teamwork
• Work in an interdisciplinary environment
• Respect for diversity and multiculturalism
• Demonstrating social, professional and ethical responsibility and sensitivity to gender issues
• Exercise criticism and self-criticism
• Promotion of free, creative and inductive thinking

 

COURSE CONTENT

• The field of prevention and promotion of mental health of children and adolescents
• Normal development
• Risk factors and protective factors for the development of mental health problems in children and adolescents
• More frequent mental health problems in children and adolescents, emotional and behavioral disorders
• Assessment and early diagnosis
• Mental retardation and mental health needs
• Psychosocial effects of chronic physical diseases in children and adolescents
• Approaches to prevention and treatment of children and adolescents’ mental health problems
• Mental health promotion programs for children and adolescents in the community
• Child and adolescent services and protection
• Moral and ethical issues in the mental health of children and adolescents

 

STUDENT EVALUATION
Written final exam (100%) including:

Development questions
Multiple choice questions
Short answer questions
Problem Solving

 

 

RECOMENDED BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Κολαΐτης, Γ. (2020) Σύγχρονη ψυχιατρική παιδιού και εφήβου. Αθήνα, ΒΗΤΑ Ιατρικές Εκδόσεις.
• Cabral, M.D. & Patel, D.R. (2020) Risk Factors and Prevention Strategies for Anxiety Disorders in Childhood and Adolescence. In: Y.-K. Kim ed. Anxiety Disorders: Rethinking and Understanding Recent Discoveries. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology. Singapore, Springer, pp.543–559.
• Campbell, K. & Peebles, R. (2014) Eating Disorders in Children and Adolescents: State of the Art Review. Pediatrics, 134 (3), pp.582–592.
• Essau, C., LeBlanc, S. & Ollendick, T. (2017) Emotion Regulation and Psychopathology in Children and Adolescents. Oxford, UK, Oxford University Press.
• Hoagwood, K.E., Gardner, W. & Kelleher, K.J. (2021) Promoting Children’s Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral (MEB) Health in All Public Systems, Post-COVID-19. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 48 (3), pp.379–387.
• Hodes, M. (2019) New developments in the mental health of refugee children and adolescents. Evidence-Based Mental Health, 22 (2), pp.72–76.
• Kokkonen, P., Athanasopoulou, C., Leino-Kilpi, H. & Sakellari, E. (2021) Secondary School Pupils’ Mental Wellbeing Is Associated with Belonging to a Perceived Minority and Experiencing Discrimination. Children, 8 (2), p.71. doi: 10.3390/children8020071.
• Kolaitis, G. & Giannakopoulos, G. (2015) Greek financial crisis and child mental health. The Lancet, 386 (9991), p.335.
• Kolaitis, G., Giannakopoulos, G., Tomaras, V., Christogiorgos, S., Pomini, V., Layiou-Lignos, E., Tzavara, C., Rhode, M., Miles, G., Joffe, I., Trowell, J. & Tsiantis, J. (2014) Self-Esteem and Social Adjustment in Depressed Youths: A Randomized Trial Comparing Psychodynamic Psychotherapy and Family Therapy. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 83 (4), pp.249–251.
• LeMoult, J., Humphreys, K.L., Tracy, A., Hoffmeister, J.-A., Ip, E. & Gotlib, I.H. (2020) Meta-analysis: Exposure to Early Life Stress and Risk for Depression in Childhood and Adolescence. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 59 (7), pp.842–855.
• Magklara, K., Bellos, S., Niakas, D., Stylianidis, S., Kolaitis, G., Mavreas, V. & Skapinakis, P. (2015) Depression in late adolescence: a cross-sectional study in senior high schools in Greece. BMC Psychiatry, 15 (1), p.199.
• Matson, J. (2018) Handbook of Childhood Psychopathology and Developmental Disabilities Assessment. New York, Springer.
• Mendelson, T. & Tandon, S.D. (2016) Prevention of Depression in Childhood and Adolescence. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 25 (2), pp.201–218.
• Olfson, M., Druss, B.G. & Marcus, S.C. (2015) Trends in Mental Health Care among Children and Adolescents. New England Journal of Medicine, 372 (21), pp.2029–2038.
• O’Reilly, M., Dogra, N., Hughes, J., Reilly, P., George, R. & Whiteman, N. (2019) Potential of social media in promoting mental health in adolescents. Health Promotion International, 34 (5), pp.981–991.
• Otto, C., Reiss, F., Voss, C., Wüstner, A., Meyrose, A.-K., Hölling, H. & Ravens-Sieberer, U. (2021) Mental health and well-being from childhood to adulthood: design, methods and results of the 11-year follow-up of the BELLA study. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 30 (10), pp.1559–1577.
• Patel, V., Flisher, A.J., Hetrick, S. & McGorry, P. (2007) Mental health of young people: a global public-health challenge. The Lancet, 369 (9569), pp.1302–1313.

 

EUDOXUS

• ΣΥΓΧΡΟΝΗ ΨΥΧΙΑΤΡΙΚΗ Παιδιού και Εφήβου, ΓΕΡΑΣΙΜΟΣ Α.ΚΟΛΑΙΤΗΣ Λεπτομέρειες