Lesson 1When to refer and collaborative care models: criteria for urgent psychiatric referral, outpatient therapy referral, collaborative care integration with school and community resourcesExplains when for urgent, regular, and special referrals, sets team care models joining basic care, mind doctors, school, and community help, and gives steps for shared plans and talk in Ghana.
Red flags requiring urgent psychiatric referralIndications for routine therapy referralDesigning shared care plans with specialistsWorking with school-based mental health teamsPartnering with community and youth servicesLesson 2Follow-up, documentation, and safety planning: follow-up intervals, relapse prevention, documentation templates, crisis resource planningHandles setting follow-up visits, watching signs and daily life, noting checks and plans, making personal safety plans, and giving crisis help and backslide stop ways for teens and families in Ghana.
Setting follow-up intervals by risk levelTracking symptoms with brief rating scalesKey elements of clear clinical documentationDeveloping written safety plans with teensCrisis lines, apps, and local emergency optionsRelapse prevention and early warning signsLesson 3Focused psychosocial history: symptom onset, sleep, appetite, concentration, school functioning, relationships, substance use, family history of mental illness or suicideGuides focused mind and social history, covering sign start, sleep, eating, focus, school work, ties, trauma, substance use, and family mind illness or suicide history to aid diagnosis and risk in Ghanaian teens.
Clarifying symptom onset, duration, and triggersAssessing sleep, appetite, and energy changesSchool performance, attendance, and bullyingPeer, family, and online relationship stressorsScreening for substance use and risky behaviorsFamily history of mental illness and suicideLesson 4Epidemiology and how presentations differ by age and sex, common comorbidities (substance use, ADHD)Reviews how common teen anxiety and depression is in Ghana, how signs differ by age and sex, and links with ADHD, substances, and others to guide aimed screening and early help.
Prevalence and global burden in adolescentsAge-specific symptom patterns 12–14 vs 15–18Sex differences in presentation and help-seekingOverlap with ADHD and learning disordersLinks with substance use and risk behaviorsLesson 5Validated screening tools and administration: PHQ-A/PHQ-9 modified for adolescents, GAD-7, Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS), usage and scoringCovers picking and using PHQ-A, teen PHQ-9, GAD-7, and C-SSRS, with scoring, reading, culture issues, and fitting results into care choices and family talks in Ghanaian settings.
Choosing tools for anxiety versus depressionAdministering PHQ-A and teen PHQ-9Using and interpreting the GAD-7 in teensColumbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale basicsScoring, cutoffs, and false positive handlingCommunicating results to adolescents and parentsLesson 6Pharmacologic strategies and monitoring: SSRIs with evidence in adolescents (fluoxetine, escitalopram), dosing principles, side effect monitoring, black-box concerns and informed consentReviews proven SSRI use in teens, with when to use, drug pick, dosing and build-up, watching side effects and suicide thoughts, warning talks, and team choices with teens and caregivers in Ghana.
When to start medication versus wait or referChoosing between fluoxetine and escitalopramStarting doses, titration, and trial durationMonitoring side effects and activationDiscussing black-box warnings and consentCombining SSRIs with psychotherapy effectivelyLesson 7Initial nonpharmacologic management: cognitive behavioral therapy fundamentals, brief behavioral interventions in primary care, parental involvement and school liaisonLooks at first non-drug ways, like CBT basics, short helps in basic care, motivation tricks, mind education, and planned team with parents, schools, and community in Ghana.
Explaining diagnosis and normalizing help-seekingCore CBT concepts for anxiety and depressionBrief behavioral strategies in short visitsEngaging parents as therapeutic partnersCoordinating with school counselors and staffWhen to add structured psychotherapy referralLesson 8Safety assessment and suicide risk triage: direct questions about self-harm, plans, means, protective factors, when to enact emergency protocolsDetails planned suicide risk check, with straight questions on thoughts, intent, plans, means, good factors, risk level, and when to start emergency or higher care in Ghanaian clinics.
Creating a safe, private interview settingDirect questions on ideation, intent, and plansAssessing access to means and recent behaviorsEvaluating protective and buffering factorsRisk stratification and triage decisionsIndications for emergency referral or hold
