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

Prerequisites
PSY80086 Professional Ethics and Psychopharmacology

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)

Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date

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
TOTAL150

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.