6. Themed Days - Primary Care

6.6. Mental health and addiction

Preparatory work  

 

In preparation you should have:  

 

  • Visited the mental health foundation website and looked at the factors that affect mental health .  You should be able to recall the biological, social and psychological factors that affect mental health in preparation for the day. 

  • Review this brief NHS patient information website page on addiction which describes what addiction is and what the individuals can become commonly addicted to. 

 

  • Watch this short 3-minute video  community mental health rehabilitation services.  Be aware, it may be challenging to watch as we can all be affected by the issues discussed in the video.  For your day, you should think of 5 things that particularly stood out for you in supporting these individuals in their recovery.  Why do you think they helped? 

 

  • Considered how healthcare professionals, including yourselves as medical students, need to be aware of their own mental health and wellbeing.  Visit the Queen Mary's website on mental health support.  For the day you should be able to discuss three practical ways that this service could help a student.  

   

Aims  

To introduce you to health promotion strategies to improve mental health; to the impact of chronic and acute mental illness on the health of the population and the multi-agency support needed in the promotion of mental health and management of mental illness.  To explore the links between mental illness and addiction.  

  

 

Learning outcomes  

  

By the end of the day you should be able to:  

  • Identify local and national strategies to improve mental health  

  • Discuss the national and practice prevalence of mental illness  

  • Identify the addictions commonly encountered in the practice population  

  • Describe the local support services for people with addictions and/or mental illness  

  • Discuss the different needs of patients with acute and chronic mental health problems  

  • Know how to access student support services and healthcare practitioner wellbeing resources  

  

Example timetable   

  

9.30 – 10.30   

Tutorial on mental health illness and addiction.  Please discuss the key learning points from the preparatory work and videos. 

  

10.30 – 10.45   

  

Tea break   

10.45 – 11.45  

Prepare for patient encounters  

  • Plan questions and observations   

  

Patient encounters  

  • Interview a patient with a mental health and/or addiction condition  

  

11.45 – 12.30  

  

Students feedback to group on their patient encounters  

  

12.30 – 13.30  

Lunch  

  

13.30 – 14.15  

Looking after ourselves as well as our patients  

  

14.15 – 14.30  

Tea break & small groups prepare for poster presentations  

  

14.30 – 15.30  

Poster presentations and Q&A  

  

15.30 – 16.00  

Any final debriefing discussion  

Set homework for next session  

  

  

Suggested Activities  

  

  • Tutorial on mental health – could cover mental health promotion, acute and chronic mental illness and addiction; group brainstorms and discusses mental health symptoms, different diagnoses,  

  • look at resources for healthcare practitioner and medical student mental health and wellbeing; individual task to list things/activities that students find promote their own wellbeing and good mental health and things that don’t (this does not need to then be shared within the group).   

  • Interview with a patient with chronic mental illness and/or addiction problem.  

  • Role-play scenarios.  

  • Research and/or visit to an agency providing support for people with mental illness or addiction.  

  • Consider health promotion regarding mental health and addiction; breakout task in small groups to prepare a piece of health promotion material regarding mental health or addiction.  

 

Questions for you to consider  

  • How do you feel about mental illness - is it something that can be treated and cured like ‘other’ illnesses that doctors treat?  Are you comfortable speaking to patients with mental health problems?  If not, why not?  

  • How does society regard people that are addicted to drugs or alcohol?  As sick, mentally ill, deviant, bad, dangerous?  What is the role of the doctor in supporting such patients?  

  • What practical steps can you take to promote your own wellbeing and good mental health? What signs might you notice if you were struggling with your mental health and how could you access support?