Lesson 1Medical and neurological mimics of psychiatric presentations: thyroid, B12, infection, head injury, and medication-induced symptomsThis lesson examines common medical and neurological issues that resemble psychiatric disorders in Eritrean patients, such as thyroid problems, B12 deficiency, infections, head injuries, and drug side effects, highlighting warning signs, basic screening methods, and the need for teamwork with general doctors.
Endocrine causes: thyroid, adrenal, and metabolic issuesNutritional and hematologic factors, including B12Infections, inflammation, and systemic illness effectsHead injury, seizures, and neurodegenerative diseaseMedication- and substance-induced psychiatric symptomsIndications for labs, imaging, and specialist referralLesson 2Principles of psychiatric diagnosis and differential formulationThis lesson covers basic rules for diagnosing mental health conditions, focusing on symptom descriptions, long-term patterns, overlapping illnesses, and cultural influences in Eritrea, while teaching organized ways to form differentials that stress safety, treatability, and areas of uncertainty.
Phenomenological description of symptoms and signsLongitudinal course and life-stage considerationsComorbidity and overlapping symptom clustersCultural formulation and explanatory modelsPrioritizing safety and treatable conditions firstCommunicating diagnostic uncertainty to patientsLesson 3Bipolar spectrum and bipolar depression: signs suggesting hypomania/mania, sleep and activity changes, and differential featuresThis lesson explains how to spot bipolar conditions, including mild high moods, mixed episodes, and unusual depression, with attention to sleep shifts, energy levels, activity changes, illness progression, and differences from single-episode depression or personality issues common in Eritrean communities.
Clinical features of hypomania and maniaSleep, circadian rhythm, and activity pattern changesCourse patterns: episodicity, polarity, and seasonalityDifferentiating bipolar from unipolar depressionMixed features and rapid cycling presentationsScreening tools and collateral history for bipolarityLesson 4Primary psychotic disorders vs substance/withdrawal-induced psychosis and acute confusional statesThis lesson helps distinguish true psychotic illnesses from those caused by drugs, withdrawal, confusion states, or delirium, using factors like start time, duration, awareness levels, thinking ability, and related health signs to make quick care choices in Eritrean clinics.
Core features of schizophrenia spectrum disordersTemporal relationship between substance use and psychosisRecognizing delirium and fluctuating consciousnessCognitive testing and attention in acute confusionMedical workup for first-episode psychosisRisk assessment and need for urgent hospitalizationLesson 5Structured diagnostic tools and rating scales useful in outpatient assessment (PHQ-9, GAD-7, CAGE/AUDIT, C-SSRS, YMRS)This lesson introduces important assessment tools and scales for clinic visits, like PHQ-9 for depression, GAD-7 for anxiety, CAGE and AUDIT for alcohol, C-SSRS for suicide risk, and YMRS for mania, including how to use, read results, note limits, and apply in decisions for Eritrean patients.
Selecting appropriate screening and rating instrumentsUsing PHQ-9 and GAD-7 in routine assessmentCAGE and AUDIT for alcohol use identificationC-SSRS for suicide risk screening and monitoringYMRS and other mania rating scalesDocumenting and tracking scores over timeLesson 6Formulating multi-factorial etiologies: biopsychosocial integration and weighing primary versus secondary diagnosesThis lesson teaches building full biopsychosocial explanations that blend biological, psychological, and social elements like triggers and supports, and deciding between main and secondary diagnoses to plan treatments and team care effectively in Eritrea.
Predisposing, precipitating, perpetuating, protective modelBiological factors: genetics, neurobiology, medical illnessPsychological factors: traits, coping, trauma, beliefsSocial factors: relationships, work, culture, resourcesWeighing primary versus secondary diagnosesLinking formulation to treatment and prognosisLesson 7Substance use disorders and pattern recognition: alcohol, benzodiazepines, and opioids effects on mood and cognitionThis lesson discusses spotting alcohol, benzodiazepine, and opioid misuse, covering intoxication, withdrawal impacts on mood, worry, thinking, and psychosis, and how usage habits in Eritrea can hide or complicate main mental health diagnoses.
Screening for alcohol, benzodiazepine, and opioid useIntoxication syndromes and acute behavioral changesWithdrawal states and rebound anxiety or agitationSubstance-induced mood and cognitive symptomsDistinguishing primary from substance-induced disordersAssessing severity, tolerance, and functional impactLesson 8Diagnostic criteria for Major Depressive Disorder (DSM-5 / ICD-11): core symptoms, specifiers, duration, and severityThis lesson explains DSM-5 and ICD-11 standards for major depression, listing needed symptoms, time frames, subtypes, and severity levels, plus comparing to grief, stress reactions, bipolar lows, and body-related causes relevant to Eritrean experiences.
Core mood, cognitive, and somatic symptomsDuration, impairment, and exclusion criteriaSpecifiers: melancholic, atypical, psychotic, anxiousSeverity assessment: mild, moderate, severeDifferentiating MDD from grief and adjustment disorderDistinguishing MDD from bipolar and medical causesLesson 9How family history, occupational stressors, relationship loss, and social determinants modify diagnostic probability and prognosisThis lesson looks at how family risks, job pressures, loss of loved ones, trauma, poverty, and cultural factors in Eritrea affect symptom starts, paths, and recovery chances, aiding doctors in sharpening diagnosis odds, risk views, and future outlooks.
Eliciting detailed family psychiatric and substance historyAssessing occupational stress, burnout, and job insecurityImpact of bereavement, separation, and attachment lossSocial determinants: housing, income, discrimination, migrationCultural and religious factors in symptom expressionIntegrating contextual risks into prognosis and planning
