Skip to main content
Unit of study_

SCWK2008: Social Perspectives on Mental Health

Semester 2, 2021 [Normal day] - Remote

This unit of study focuses on a range of social perspectives on mental health. It introduces students to mental health issues commonly experienced in contemporary society, including depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, drug and alcohol addiction, self-harm and suicidality. It also explores several contextual issues surrounding the topic of mental illness, including the social determinants of mental illness, labelling and stigma, working with young people experiencing distress, working with families, the effects of child abuse and domestic violence, and grief.

Unit details and rules

Unit code SCWK2008
Academic unit Social Work
Credit points 6
Prohibitions
? 
SCWK2005
Prerequisites
? 
48 credit points including (SCLG1001 and SCLG1002) or (12cp of SCLG1U01) or (12cp of 1000 level units in Diversity Studies)
Corequisites
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

None

Available to study abroad and exchange students

No

Teaching staff

Coordinator Emma Tseris, emma.tseris@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Assignment Peer teaching and reflection
Prepare a 15-min peer teaching exercise, a written summary and reflection
20% Multiple weeks 2 pages (1000wd equiv.)
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Assignment hurdle task Quiz 1
Quiz (open-book)
25% Week 04 1000 words (equiv)
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO6 LO5 LO4 LO3 LO2
Assignment Quiz 2
Quiz (open-book)
25% Week 10 1000 words (equiv)
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO6 LO5 LO4 LO3 LO2
Assignment End of semester essay
Reflect on learning over the semester and implications for future practice
30% Week 13 1500 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
hurdle task = hurdle task ?

Assessment summary

  • Reflection essay: A reflection on your learning across the semester and implications for future practice. 
  • Peer teaching: You will be allocated a week in which you need to prepare discussion questions and/or an exercise for your peers based on the weekly readings. The second, related, component of this task is a written summary and critical analysis. 
  • Quiz 1 and 2: Consists of short answer and essay questions.
Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a High distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a Distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name

Mark range

Description

High distinction

85 - 100

 

Distinction

75 - 84

 

Credit

65 - 74

 

Pass

50 - 64

 

Fail

0 - 49

When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

 

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

  • Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
  • After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website  provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.  

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 Introduction to the unit of study - key concepts Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 02 Debates about labelling practices in mental health Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 03 The impacts of social environments on mental health Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 04 Debates in child and adolescent mental health, including the medicalisation of childhood Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 05 Biomedical, psychological and social understandings of psychosis Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 06 Human rights and mental health, including tensions between 'risk' and rights Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO6
Week 07 Engaging effectively with self-harm and suicidality Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 08 De-centreing western perspectives and whiteness in mental health Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO6
Week 09 Community and peer-led approaches to emotional wellbeing Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO2 LO3 LO6
Diverse and contested understandings of recovery Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Week 10 Skills for working with distress experienced by service users and families Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO2 LO3 LO4 LO6
Week 12 Review of key concepts and essay preparation Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: The Sydney School of Education and Social Work requires attendance of at least 90 percent of all seminars, workshops or lectures. Where a student is unable to attend at the required rate evidence of illness or misadventure may be required and the student may be required to undertake extra work. Students should discuss the circumstances of their absence(s) with the co-ordinator of the unit of study. Further details are provided in the School canvas site: https://canvas.sydney.edu.au/courses/13426

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Please refer to the reading list on Canvas

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. analyse key contemporary debates in mental health policy and practice
  • LO2. discuss the relationship between emotional distress and the social environment
  • LO3. reflect on lived experience narratives of mental distress, including critiques of service provision, and how these can inform social work practice
  • LO4. appreciate the multiple forms of discrimination facing people diagnosed with a mental illness, and discuss the social work role in addressing such discrimination
  • LO5. articulate a working knowledge of commonly diagnosed mental health problems
  • LO6. explain the contribution of social work concepts to the contemporary mental health field, including the relationship between mental health and human rights

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1 Depth of disciplinary expertise

Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.

GQ2 Critical thinking and problem solving

Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.

GQ3 Oral and written communication

Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.

GQ4 Information and digital literacy

Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.

GQ5 Inventiveness

Generating novel ideas and solutions.

GQ6 Cultural competence

Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.

GQ7 Interdisciplinary effectiveness

Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.

GQ8 Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity

An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.

GQ9 Influence

Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes Graduate qualities
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

No significant changes have been made since this unit was last offered.

Site visit guidelines

If you are undertaking professional experience/field education placement as part of your enrolment in this unit of study, please assess your specific needs and requirements for the safe and successful completion of an external placement within a host organisation. You will be given the opportunity to disclose any health issues that have a work health and safety significance before arranging a placement so that your safety, and the safety of others, can be properly assessed. The Professional Experience Coordinator/Field Education Manager will work to ensure that the workplace assignment to you is appropriate for your needs and requirements. If you are experiencing disability, and require reasonable adjustments to be arranged, please contact Disability Services as early as possible prior to commencing the internship. Please note, in all cases, and for the purpose of organising reasonable adjustments, only the impact and not the nature, of your disability will be disclosed to the host organisation.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.