This introductory module will provide an overview of mental health, MHPSS and relevant approaches to both. It will cover basic concepts, essentials, and principles of mental health practice and service delivery in Bangladesh context; as well as the various approaches and models of mental health. Students will learn to practice critical thinking, analysis, and reasoning skills in the field of mental health care. Emphasis will be placed on working contexts and supervision, alongside ethical practices such as risk management and safeguarding. 

This course will center a historical perspective of developmental psychology. It will begin with the stages of pregnancy, birth, and babyhood (infancy period of 0-2 years). The connections between play and development will be explored, with additional focus on brain development and the roots of learning. Later stages – of young childhood (3-5 years), middle childhood (6-10 years), puberty and adolescence (11-16 years), late adolescence and early adulthood (16-23 years), adulthood and aging – will also be explored.

This course will address universal experiences of suffering, toxic stress and socio-emotional challenges. Students will learn about adverse childhood experiences, along with how people develop both vulnerability and resilience. The continuum of mental health to mental health will be studied, with the accompanying social conceptions of fear, misunderstanding and stigma. Students will develop a robust understanding of prevalent mental health disorders and how they can be assessed through the Mental Status Examination (MSE). This will be followed up with learning about the lived experiences of people with mental health disorder(s) and what interventions could best support their mental wellbeing.

This course will equip students with knowledge of evidence-based mental health and psychosocial support. It will support a keen understanding of self-awareness, as well as a critical examination of human and personal beliefs and value systems. Students will develop an understanding of the mhGAP Intervention Guide, Psychological First Aid and the various dos and don’ts of providing psychosocial support. They will learn about paracounsellor skills, advocacy for community-based psychosocial support, assessment and practice. 

This course will orient students in the history and contexts of global mental health, including epidemiology and the global burden of mental health conditions. The roles of key stakeholders in the global mental health landscape will be studied. Students will delve into global normative frameworks, policies, and guidelines on mental health to deepen their understanding of international standards. Global human rights standards of equity and equality for marginalized populations will also be showcased here. Students will grow to understand the role of critical thinking, analysis, and reasoning skills in developing effective mental health practice and services. Key humanitarian and emergency context case studies will be analyzed, and students will learn to adapt tools for the Bangladeshi context.

This course will support students in growing a critical understanding of the core principles of ethics in mental healthcare. Core concepts will include the relationship between ethical theory and practice, as well as the professional standards and issues in mental health systems. Students will learn to recognize and implement best practices in ethics, conduct and professional accountability. Patient safeguarding mechanisms such as legal rights, informed consent, confidentiality, and data protection will be thoroughly explored. Embodiments of reflective practice and value-based work will be examined, in light of the various professional challenges in ethical healthcare practice.

This course will cultivate a fundamental understanding of research in mental health. Students will be equipped with the skills of interpretation and critical evaluation of research findings within mental health practice. Key features of the research process will be highlighted, taking both qualitative and quantitative research into consideration. Students will gain a robust understanding of research design and evaluation for children and vulnerable populations in mental health. Protocols to maintain ethics and professional codes of conduct while doing mental health research will also be covered. 

This first practicum module will provide an opportunity for students to exercise the knowledge and skills acquired in their preceding program courses. Using a hands-on approach, students will learn about MHPSS in community settings, integrating theory and practice through field-based activities and be able to observe community-based practices of mental health management.

This practicum module will involve student placement in specialized mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) settings to apply learning in real-world contexts. They will engage in direct service provision under guided supervision, carry out comprehensive case assessments and conduct psychosocial interventions. Additional practices such as structured documentation, journaling, reflection and self-care will be highlighted and executed. Through these real world experiences, students will learn to identify ethical and contextual challenges. They will also get the opportunity to actively participate in current mental health advocacy and awareness initiatives in Bangladesh.

This course will cover the principles of program design and development; starting from needs assessment and situation analysis to the formulation of logic models, intervention strategies and  monitoring and evaluation (M&E) frameworks for impact measurement. Students will be engaged in research proposal development, including research design, data collection, and data analysis. The importance of ethical research practices and governance, alongside reflective learning and the role of the researcher will be fully unpacked. Students will learn to conduct stakeholder engagement and risk management. Practical applications of all these lessons will be facilitated through group work, case studies, and role-play activities. 

This course will support students in developing research proposals, gaining deeper understandings of their focused research area through robust literature review, practicing different data collection techniques and applying various data analysis tools. Students will be able to understand, critique, and suggest alternative solutions to mental health needs. Through this understanding, they will write an action research report or thesis in an area of mental health relevant to the content covered in previous courses. This module will place emphasis on ethics, critical thinking, and effective communication. It will also include individual supervision by a faculty member for thesis development.