Course Description

Mental and behavioral health affect all members of society and all aspects of life. It is estimated that 1 in 4 adults in the US suffer from a mental or behavioral disorder in a given year, and mental and neurological disorders reflect many of the top causes of disability worldwide. Unfortunately, suicide is among the leading causes of death for adolescents and emerging adults in the US. Further, physical health challenges can lead to mental health challenges, and vice versa. Thus, it is critical that approaches to public health are informed by public mental health. This course will cover questions of prevalence, specific communities affected, causal frameworks, prevention and treatment intervention strategies, and services and policy considerations, through a public health frame with emphasis on a life course perspective and health equity.

Learner Outcomes

• Explore mental disorder constructs, classification systems, and measurable features.
• Define ways to measure and communicate population burden estimates for mental disorders.
• Describe the populations most affected by mental and behavioral health issues.
• Examine how different etiologic frameworks in mental health inform prevention intervention, and policy.
• Examine social determinants of mental health.
• Review prominent treatment strategies for mental health disorders.
• Explore the design, evaluation, and implementation of preventive interventions.
• Examine the types of mental health service provision, barriers to care, and the role of policy.