Introduction to mental health and contemporary mental health needs

This unit provides an overview of how mental illness is defined, identified and managed in the Australian mental health care system. You will learn the foundational principles including the major theories used to understand mental illness, how mental disorders are diagnosed, and the ways in which evidence-based treatments are used in the management of these disorders. You will be able to describe the current model of Australian mental health care including the various care settings, the ethical consideration needed, and the frameworks for classification of mental illness. You will learn about mental health across the lifespan and the need to understand the lived-experience of consumers within the mental health care system.