Psychopharmacology and physical treatments in mental health care

This online unit provides you with a theoretical underpinning of psychopharmacology and physical treatments, such as electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), as used in contemporary psychiatric practice.

You will be introduced to the pharmacokinetics of medications used in psychiatric practice, and to the principles of safe prescribing according to the age, health and cultural background of the patient involved.

You will use the foundational knowledge of pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and therapeutics, in order to critically analyse how medications affect physiological, biochemical and pathophysiological processes.

You will also be introduced to the special considerations and issues that pertain to working with patients from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.The unit will cover antidepressants, antipsychotics, anxiolytics, hypnotics, mood stabilisers, psychostimulants and other adjunctive psychotropic medications.

You will appraise medication indications, mechanisms of action, dose titration and contemporary uses, side-effects, drug interactions and relevant communication challenges in psychopharmacology.

Similarly, with physical therapies like ECT and TMS, the indications, mechanisms of action, side-effects and interaction with pharmacotherapies will be explored.

This unit will be of interest to training psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, general practitioners, mental health nurses and case managers engaged in the care of mental health consumers.