Psychiatric Diagnostics and Theory Specific Assessment 4 - Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, 1.5 credits

Passing the previous term’s “Psykiatrisk diagnostik och inriktningsspecifik bedömning 3” (“Psychiatric diagnostics and theory-specific assessment 3”) course is a prerequisite for participation in this course.

Knowledge and understanding
On completion of the course, students – in connection with patients who have been diagnosed with addiction, eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders or personality disorders – will be able to:

• analyse and reflect on diagnostic systems and methods used when evaluating symptoms relating to the above diagnoses
• analyse and reflect on diagnostic systems and methods applicable in the event of comorbidity between the above conditions

Skills and abilities
On completion of the course, students – in connection with patients who have been diagnosed with addiction, eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders or personality disorders – will be able to:

• reflect on their own journal writing in relation to legislation and the requirements of the organisation
• reflect on their own journal writing in relation to the function and structure of patient records
• carry out various types of diagnostic interview so that adequate information is obtained for psychiatric assessment and symptom rating, and be able to analyse the advantages and disadvantages of various diagnostic methods
• summarise and feedback information obtained and clinical conclusions to the patient in a nuanced manner, and be able to reflect on the consequences of the adjustments they make
• carry out tentative behavioural analysis/conceptualisation of above mentioned diagnoses
• recommend actions during supervision based on treatment research and the care alternatives that the organisation can offer, and evaluate the consequences of this in relation to all “theoretically possible options”
• evaluate the consequences of work involving symptom control, structuring work and the patient’s pre-treatment motivation on the treatment outcomes
• describe their own knowledge and deficiencies in knowledge within the area in question to supervisors and colleagues
• establish a good supervisor relationship, including taking in information and feedback from the supervisor and assimilating this into patient work
• present relevant clinical materials and issues to the supervisor in a structured manner
• formulate relevant questions and constructive opinions on fellow students’ clinical materials

Evaluations and attitudes
On completion of the course, students – in connection with patients who have been diagnosed with addiction, eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders or personality disorders – will be able to:

• behave professionally towards clients with complex care needs and their family members
• reflect on the consequences of legislation and organisational requirements on clinical work
• analyse and reflect on the significance of scientifically researching the application of different methods and instruments
• analyse and reflect on the significance of diversity aspects when making assessments
• analyse ethical issues relating to providing care
• evaluate their own activities for knowledge generation within the supervision group

Students will carry out psychiatric diagnoses and psychotherapeutic assessments in series of discussions with patients where problems with addiction, eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders and/or personality disorders have been identified. Each student will carry out a maximum of one assessment discussion per week during timetabled course weeks. Supervision and teaching focus on psychiatric diagnostics based on psychometric and diagnostic systems, general psychotherapeutic assessment, behaviour analysis and case conceptualisation, as well as shorter treatment consisting of e.g. symptom checks, structure work and motivation work. Legal and institutional conditions for supervision remain in focus.

Teaching takes place in the form of both clinical group supervision in groups of approximately four students and seminars covering practical exercises and role play.

The teaching requires students to participate actively with reflections on their own patient materials and those of other group members.

Supervision is mandatory. Students will not pass in the event of more than 20% absence. Examination takes place through the supervisor’s continuous assessment of the student’s competence, and through written reports in the form of session summaries, and when appropriate, treatment report after the end of the series of discussions. Students must have met the journal-keeping requirement during the term in order to pass the module.

This is a clinically applied module, and students who fail are entitled to repeat the course on one occasion.

A student’s work-based education or equivalent may be ended immediately by an examiner if the student demonstrates such a serious lack of knowledge, skills or attitude that patient safety or patients’ confidence in medical care is jeopardised. When work-based education is ended, the student fails the current module and one instance of work-based education has been used.

In such cases, an individual action plan will be drawn up detailing which activities and knowledge checks are required before the student will be given the opportunity to carry out a new instance of work-based education on this course.

Students who fail work-based education or equivalent as a result of demonstrating such a serious lack of knowledge, skills or attitude that patient safety or patients’ confidence in medical care is jeopardised will only be authorised to carry out a new instance of work-based education once the individual action plan has been carried out.

An examination will be made available for a period of one year in the event of the course being discontinued or a new course syllabus being devised.

Course evaluation will be carried out in accordance with the guidelines established by the Board of Higher Education.

Each student must submit confirmation from his or her employer demonstrating that the student has been employed on a part-time basis with psychotherapeutic work tasks in psychiatric care or equivalent duties during the term in question.