Professional Ethics and Psychopharmacology
Overview
In this unit, students are provided with an overview of critical ethical issues relevant to the practicing psychologist and are encouraged students to engage with the nuances of common ethical dilemmas. Students will receive support to develop their skills in self-reflection as the foundation for ongoing professional development and culturally responsive and reflexive practice. It also introduces neurobiological models of the major classes of mental disorder so that students can understand the neurobiology of disorders and the neurobiological targets of pharmacotherapy.
Requisites
Rule
Admission into DR-CLIPSY - Doctor of Psychology (Clinical Psychology)
OR
Admission into DR-CFPSY - Doctor of Psychology (Clinical and Forensic Psychology)
OR
Admission into DR-CNSPSY - Doctor of Psychology (Counselling Psychology)
01-June-2025
03-August-2025
Learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
- Apply a body of knowledge that includes the extended understanding of the Australian Psychological Society Code of Ethics and Ethical Guidelines as they apply to confidentiality and informed consent, professional boundaries, report writing and record keeping, and cultural issues
- Evaluate psychopharmacology in the treatment of a range of mental health disorders
- Demonstrate knowledge of the major neurobiological pathways implicated in mental health disorders and the pharmacological treatments that act on these pathways
Teaching methods
Hawthorn
| Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| On-campus Class | 12.00 | 1 week | 12 |
| On-campus Workshop | 24.00 | 1 week | 24 |
| On-campus Workshop | 3.00 | 2 weeks | 6 |
| Unspecified Activities Independent Learning | 9.00 | 12 weeks | 108 |
| TOTAL | 150 |
Assessment
| Type | Task | Weighting | ULO's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Case Studies | Individual | 50% | 1 |
| Presentation | Individual/Group | 30% | 1,4 |
| Online Quiz | Individual | 30% | 2,3 |
Content
In the ethics component, the topics covered may include: confidentiality and informed consent, professional boundaries, report writing and record keeping, and cultural issues.
In the psychopharmacology component, topics covered may include:
- Principles of chemical transmission, the action of disease and drugs on chemical transmission.
- Neurochemical bases of bipolar depression, anxiety disorders, psychosis, dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
- Specific neurochemical actions of mood stabilizers, anxiolytics and sedative hypnotics, antipsychotics and cognitive enhancers.
- Communication Skills: Verbal communication
- Graduate Attribute – Communication Skills: Communicating using different media
- Graduate Attribute – Teamwork Skills: Collaboration and negotiation
- Graduate Attribute – Teamwork Skills: Teamwork roles and processes
- Graduate Attribute – Digital Literacies: Information literacy
- Graduate Attribute – Digital Literacies: Technical literacy
- Doctoral students will receive additional training relevant to forensic practice.
Study resources
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.