Lesson 1Medical and neurological mimics of psychiatric presentations: thyroid, B12, infection, head injury, and medication-induced symptomsCovers common medical and neurological issues mimicking psychiatric conditions like thyroid problems, B12 deficiency, infections, head injuries, and drug side effects, highlighting warning signs, basic tests, and teamwork with general physicians.
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 formulationExplains core principles of psychiatric diagnosis, focusing on symptoms, long-term patterns, co-existing conditions, and cultural factors, while teaching a systematic approach to differential diagnosis that prioritises safety, treatability, and areas of doubt.
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 featuresExplains spotting bipolar spectrum disorders, including mild hypomania, mixed episodes, and unusual depression, stressing changes in sleep, energy, activities, patterns over time, and differences from single-episode depression and personality issues.
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 statesShows how to tell primary psychosis from drug-induced psychosis, delirium, or confusion states, using onset timing, progression, awareness, thinking skills, and related medical signs to make quick management choices.
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)Introduces essential tools and scales for clinic assessments like PHQ-9, GAD-7, CAGE, AUDIT, C-SSRS, YMRS, covering how to use them, interpret results, their limits, and fitting them into everyday clinical decisions.
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 diagnosesTeaches building biopsychosocial explanations combining risk factors, triggers, ongoing issues, and strengths, and balancing main versus secondary diagnoses to sequence treatments and plan team-based care.
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 cognitionFocuses on spotting alcohol, benzodiazepine, opioid misuse, covering intoxication, withdrawal, long-term impacts on mood, anxiety, thinking, psychosis, and how usage patterns confuse diagnosis and hide main issues.
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 severityClarifies DSM-5 and ICD-11 standards for Major Depressive Disorder, covering must-have symptoms, time frame, subtypes, severity levels, and distinguishing from grief, adjustment issues, bipolar depression, medical causes.
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 prognosisExamines how family risks, job stress, loss of relationships, trauma, poverty, cultural background affect symptom start, course, treatment response, aiding refined diagnosis chances, risk levels, long-term outlook.
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
