The Beautiful Mind: Global Perceptions of Mental Health

To look broader than just diagnostic criteria for the mental health illness. We will discuss the concept of culture and its importance

How young is too young to diagnose a child with bipolar disorder? What is the solution to alcohol addiction in South Korea? What is normal and does normal even exist? We invite students to explore questions such as these and travel with us “down the rabbit hole” of global mental health. The course will offer a broad perspective on mental health through discussions of the most prevalent and impactful mental health disorders around the world and the complexity of mental health as a public health issue.

The course will begin with an introduction to mental health followed by in-depth lectures and workshops on current mental health diagnostic methods. We will use this newly acquired knowledge to discuss treatment options both on an individual and community level. We will dive into the realm of policy-making and regulations on a national and international scale. Special attention will be paid to development of students’ critical thinking by discussing the ambiguity of mental health. Lectures and workshops will focus on issues such as the ethics of mental health, cultural influences and stigma. Students will work together in groups to investigate and review questions of global mental health, analysing and reporting on topics through medical and cross-cultural psychiatric lenses.

Course leader

Dr. Elena V. Syurina, Dr. W. Scholte and Dr. Mitzi Waltz

Target group

Open to Beginner and Advanced Bachelor's, and Master's students. For students interested in Mental health from a broad perspective or those who would like to see further than DSM and ICD.

Course aim

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

• Gain basic knowledge about the mental health organisation (from diagnosis to rehabilitation)

• Learn to understand the factors that influence mental health status and service provision both on national and international arena

• Take an interdisciplinary approach to the issues of mental health and gain insight how mental health is connected to other health-related problems

• Practice designing a mental health community based intervention

• Develop abilities to critically assess and debate about the complexity and ambiguity of mental health problems

• Meet and work together with peers from various countries and backgrounds

Credits info

3 EC
45 hours

Fee info

EUR 1050: Tuition fees two-week course

VU Students/PhD candidates and employees of VU Amsterdam* or an Aurora Network Partner €700
Students at Partner Universities of VU Amsterdam €950
Students and PhD candidates at non-partner universities of VU Amsterdam €1050
Professionals €1250

Early Bird offer
Applications received before 15 March (14 March CET 23:59) receive €50 Early Bird discount!

Scholarships

VU Amsterdam Summer School offers two kinds of scholarships: the Equal Access Scholarship and the Photographer Scholarship. More information can be found on the VU Amsterdam Summer School website.