Child and Adolescent Mental Health - MSc

More about this course

This Child and Adolescent Mental Health MSc course will provide you with an up-to-date scientific and academic knowledge that will allow you to pursue a career in children's mental health across health, social care, education and youth justice.

The course will guide you to develop an understanding of recent developments in the child and adolescent mental health field and help you to acquire skills useful in identifying and managing a wide range of mental health problems.

You'll develop the ability to conduct research and scholarly analysis focused on children and adolescent mental health. You'll also learn about psychological and developmental processes that contribute to children's positive and negative mental health and explore ways in which your knowledge can contribute to policy making in this field.

The course will be taught by practitioners, researchers and scholars in the child psychology and mental health fields. The teaching will contribute to your training needs and help you develop skills relating to the assessment, management and treatment of child and adolescent disorders.

Assessment

The course is assessed through a variety of tasks that will allow you to demonstrate your academic knowledge through mechanisms that support career-ready skills.

You'll be assessed through essays, case studies, oral presentations, critical and systematic reviews, qualitative and quantitative research reports.

Entry requirements

You will be required to have: 

• a minimum of a lower second-class (2.2) honours degree in the area of social sciences, health, education and human sciences.

Students from other disciplines who have extensive relevant work experience will be considered on an individual basis.

Accelerated study

Students can be accepted on the basis of relevant education and experience. Accredited prior learning can also be accepted for modules in a relevant subject.

Accreditation of Prior Learning

Any university-level qualifications or relevant experience you gain prior to starting university could count towards your course at London Met. Find out more about applying for Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL).

English language requirements

To study a degree at London Met, you must be able to demonstrate proficiency in the English language. If you require a Student visa (previously Tier 4) you may need to provide the results of a Secure English Language Test (SELT) such as Academic IELTS. This course requires you to meet our standard requirements.

If you need (or wish) to improve your English before starting your degree, the University offers a Pre-sessional Academic English course to help you build your confidence and reach the level of English you require.

Modular structure

The modules listed below are for the academic year 2023/24 and represent the course modules at this time. Modules and module details (including, but not limited to, location and time) are subject to change over time.

Year 1 modules include:

Child and Adolescent Developmental Psychology (core, 20 credits)

This module currently runs:

• autumn semester - Thursday afternoon

This module will develop your understanding of core theories and models of cognitive and social development in children and adolescents. This includes classic and contemporary theories of attachment; development of language, memory, and theory of mind; gender and identity; and understanding the fantasy-reality distinction. You will critically examine the research methods used in this branch of psychology and the extent to which developmental processes are universal or vary across cultures. You will develop your skills in locating, evaluating, discussing, and accurately communicating information relating to the lecture topics, which are essential skills for further study and employment in different settings (e.g., child and adolescent mental health services; education; research).

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Clinical Skills for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Practitioners (core, 20 credits)

This module currently runs:

• spring semester - Wednesday morning

This module will develop your knowledge of and ability to apply a range of skills relevant to working in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). This includes a range of clinical skills, therapeutic skills, and skills in designing and applying evidence-based interventions to address developmental issues that can emerge at different stages of the life-course. You will develop your ability to evaluate some key theories and research evidence that underly the diagnosis, treatment, and interventions in the context of child and adolescent mental health. You will also examine inter-professional perspectives on child and adolescent mental health to develop your understanding of the need for multidisciplinary approaches in supporting wellbeing and the role of counselling in the context of other healthcare practices. The skills developed in this module will help to prepare you for further training and employment in child and adolescent mental health services and other healthcare settings.

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Introduction to Skills Based Practice (core, 20 credits)

This module currently runs:

• autumn semester - Thursday morning

This module is designed to equip you with a range of practical academic and professional skills enable you to study and conduct scientific research at postgraduate level in line with the principles of open science. It will provide opportunities for you to develop the reflective skills required for working in mental health settings. More specifically, through experiential learning methods, the module will equip you with: (1) core intellectual and academic skills to assist your progression through the course and into further study or employment (e.g., written and oral communication skills); (2) professional skills to prepare you for research methods and dissertation modules (e.g., numeracy skills; data management); (3) reflective skills required for employment in mental health settings; and (4) the ability to apply the skills developed in the module – along with your knowledge of ethics, research and specific clinical issues – in different academic and employment contexts. The module thus provides you with a firm foundation for your progression through the course and into further postgraduate training or employment in a range of social or healthcare professions.

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Psychopathology (core, 20 credits)

This module currently runs:

• autumn semester - Wednesday morning

This module will introduce you to core topics in psychopathology and clinical practice, including treatments for a range of mental health conditions and neuropsychological disorders. It will allow you to explore the nature of mental health conditions and neuropsychological disorders through biological, social, behavioural, and cognitive perspectives, as well as mental health service users’ experiences. You will learn how to diagnose and assess a range of mental health disorders and to appreciate how social and cultural factors can influence these practices. The module will utilise a variety of teaching and learning methods to provide an integrated and multidisciplinary approach to understanding psychopathology. These features will include introduction to formal classification systems such as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5) and skills in research and professional practice.

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Research Design and Analysis for Psychology (core, 20 credits)

This module currently runs:

• spring semester - Thursday afternoon

The aim of this module is to introduce you to a wide range of methods of psychological investigation. You will learn how to design different types of psychological studies, create materials for data collection, collect and analyse data, summarise, and present results in line with professional publication standards and the principles of open science. You will learn how to manage and manipulate different types of data (qualitative and quantitative) and to conduct different types of data analysis using appropriate software where appropriate. The module will develop your ability to integrate and evaluate different lines of theory and research and to reflect on the ethical implications of different research methods in line with professional standards and principles of open science. Each of these aims is associated with general competencies that are highly valued in employment settings (e.g., communication, numeracy, data management, critical thinking).

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Research Project (core, 60 credits)

This module currently runs:

• all year (September start) - Wednesday afternoon

This module will support you with the process of planning, carrying out, and writing up an independent research project in psychology. You will be allocated a research supervisor who will guide you through each stage. The module equips you with the qualities and transferable skills necessary for completing a research project and which are essential for employment in different settings. This includes (1) independent study, self-management, time keeping, and digital literacy skills; (2) in-depth understanding of a selected topic; (3) critical thinking skills; (4) creative problem-solving skills; (5) ability and willingness to work with a supervisor and peers as a team; (6) understanding of the scientific method; (7) ability to collect valid and reliable data through an ethically sound process; (8) understanding of statistics and/or qualitative data analysis using appropriate software and platforms and ability to apply them to real data; (9) ability to write a complete report of research findings in line with professional publication standards; (10) ability to present research findings in different ways to different audiences.

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Resilience and Mindfulness (core, 20 credits)

This module currently runs:

• spring semester - Thursday morning

This module will introduce you to core topics in the psychology of resilience and mindfulness. It will help to develop your understanding of the benefits of integrating resilience and mindfulness training and interventions into healthcare practices to support both clients’ and practitioners’ wellbeing and needs. It will explore the benefits of resilience and mindfulness interventions across the lifespan in the context of mental health, special needs, the healthcare system, at risk families and end of life issues from a cultural and systemic perspective. You will learn about family systems approaches in healthcare and explore the assessment of families, resilience, mental health promotion and empowering families towards making positive changes towards mental wellbeing. The knowledge and skills developed in the module will provide affirm foundation for employment in different healthcare settings.

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Where this course can take you

Our Child and Adolescent Mental Health MSc will provide you with opportunities to enter or progress within a diverse range of occupations, including psychology, social work, nursing and teaching.

The course will also allow you to pursue further study in clinical and educational psychology.

Additional costs

Please note, in addition to the tuition fee there may be additional costs for things like equipment, materials, printing, textbooks, trips or professional body fees.

Additionally, there may be other activities that are not formally part of your course and not required to complete your course, but which you may find helpful (for example, optional field trips). The costs of these are additional to your tuition fee and the fees set out above and will be notified when the activity is being arranged.

When to apply

You are advised to apply as early as possible as applications will only be considered if there are places available on the course.