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In 1996 the Australian Health Ministers' Advisory Council agreed to the formulation of national health priorities for Australia. Mental Health has remained on this list of priorities ever since. Given the ongoing emphasis on the need to better understand and manage mental health issues in Australian society, it is incumbent upon professionals in the human services to be cognisant of the factors that influence mental health in order to be able to respond appropriately to the needs of service users and promote mental wellness.

This course will enable participants to trace and critically examine social factors that promote mental health and illness, influence the onset and course of mental illness, and understand competing models and discourses surrounding mental health and illness in Australia and globally from a sociological perspective. Further, this course provides an opportunity to explore how social practices and ideas contribute to the ways in which society, families and individuals are affected by mental health and mental illness.

On successful completion of this course students will be able to:

1. Describe and critique the various competing philosophical, sociological and conceptual frameworks for understanding mental health and illness including the impact and experiences of people with mental illness;
2. Determine the advantages and disadvantages of mental health and illness classification systems from a sociological perspective;
3. Describe contemporary debates within the mental health field that may impact on the lives of people with mental illness;
4. Engage in reflective and ethical decision making surrounding complex mental health policy and practice areas, including the identification of strategies (individual and team) to minimise discrimination and combat stigmas associated with mental illness;
5. Examine effective roles for human service workers within the discipline of mental health.