MHEPK26HKI Mental health and substance abuse work (5cr)

Evaluation scale

0-5

Objective

Students
• recognise the main adult, child and adolescent mental health disorders, multimorbidity, addictions and their individual manifestations and their links to substance abuse
• are familiar with the key legislation and the programmes of the National Mental Health and Substance Use Strategies
• know the mental health and substance use service system, networking and digital services
• can assess customers’ needs for mental health and substance abuse services and provide service coordination
• know how to utilise the experience-based knowledge of a patient and their family in guidance and the close networks in supporting coping in everyday life
• can initiate and maintain therapeutic interaction and understand the importance of multiprofessional work
• are able to use methods that support and promote resources and can back up their decisions with evidence-based knowledge
• understand the importance of recovery orientation, discussing any issues and early intervention
• know the manifestations of crises, the principles of crisis work and the forms of help
• know how to act to promote customer, patient and occupational safety
• understand the importance the continuity and care pathway
• are aware of professional interaction and guidance of patients and their family members
• develop their oral and written Finnish language skills needed in care settings

Content

• the most common mental disorders and multimorbidity in adults, children and adolescents
• central legislation related to mental health and substance abuse work and other topical legislation and programmes
• principles of addiction and the risks and problems related to substance use
• key methods of mental health and substance abuse work, evidence-based nursing
• treatment-based interaction and recovery orientation
• creative, functional and psychophysical methods
• principles of crisis work and forms of help
• stigma
• supporting family and friends
• nurse consultation in mental health work
• service coordination, self-care, continuity of care and care pathway
• professional interaction and patient guidance

Materials

CHILD AND YOUNG PEOPLE'S MENTAL HEALTH MATERIALS:
Yearwood, E. L., Pearson, G. S., & Newland, J. A. (Eds.). (2021). Child and adolescent behavioral health: A resource for advanced practice psychiatric and primary care practitioners in nursing. John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated.

Gersch, C. J., Heimgartner, N. M., Rebar, C. R., Gersch, C. J., Heimgartner, N. M., & Rebar, C. R. (2020). Psychiatric nursing made incredibly easy! (Third edition.). Wolters Kluwer.


ADULT MENTAL HEALTH MATERIALS:
Aydin, M. (2025). Fundamentals of Psychiatric Nursing. BZT Turan Publishing House.

Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare. (THL). Mental health.

Gersch, C. J., Heimgartner, N. M., Rebar, C. R., Gersch, C. J., Heimgartner, N. M., & Rebar, C. R. (2020). Psychiatric nursing made incredibly easy! (Third edition.). Wolters Kluwer.

Kinnunen, U.-M., Liljamo, P., Härkönen, M., Ukkola, T., Kuusisto, A. & Hassinen, T. 3/2025. THL. The Finnish Care Classification System, FinCC 4.0: User Guide: V. 1.1.

Ministry of Social Affairs and Health (STM). Mental Health Services.

Townsend, M. 2015. Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing: Concepts of Care in Evidence-Based Practice. Edition 8.

Tóth Mónika Ditta etc. 2023. Evidence for the effectiveness of interventions to reduce mental health related stigma in the workplace: a systematic review. BMJ Open.

Other literature in Finnish:
Duodecim. Käypä Hoito recommendations.

Finlex. Mental Health Act. (Mielenterveyslaki)

Terveysportti EBMG “Evidence-based Medicine Guidelines” database. For example: Adolescent psychiatry, Alcohol ja substance abuse, Psychiatry

Terveysportti. Nursing database. Mental health and substance abuse treatment sections.

Suositeltava kirjallisuus kuvataan tarkemmin Diaklessa.

Teaching methods

Description of the course:

- course info
- lectures
- video lectures
- skills workshop exercises and preparation for them by independently consulting the teaching materials
- online courses (Oppiportti)
- seminar simulation, learning discussions, critical professional reflection
- independent study

The course includes 2 ects of simulation training
- The simulation is held on campus or online.
- The simulation exercise is worked out in small groups using patient case scenarios
- A professional critical reflection discussion with the group of students who participated in the simulation will take place after the simulation.

- Achievement of the objectives requires independent study of the learning materials and participation in the skills workshop and simulation work in small groups.

Student workload

5 ects = 135 hours student's use of time

- course info 4h
- lectures 10h + video lectures by doctors 5h (+ child/young peoples's mental healt 1h)
- skills workshop exercises and preparation by independent study of the teaching materials 18h
- online exams (from doctors' video lectures) 6h
- online course on suicide prevention 1h
- online school on stigma and discrimination - one encounter at a time for better services 2h
- seminar simulation and preparation, learning discussions, critical professional reflection 36h
- independent study 52h

Qualifications

The study module Basics of clinical nursing (CLI01) and the study module Clinical nursing skills workshops and simulations (CLI02) have been completed.

Further information

The language of instruction is Finnish in skills workshops and simulations. English is used as a supportive language.

Learning material is in English ja support material in Finnish (e.g. national treatment recommendations i.a. Käypä Hoito, Hotus + support vocabulary).