Lesson 1Medical and medication history: thyroid, anaemia, neurological symptoms, medication/substance interactions, and urgent conditionsThis lesson organises taking medical and drug history key to mental health care. It covers thyroid issues, anaemia, neurological and immune signs, current medicines, interactions, substances, and urgent conditions needing quick medical checks.
Screening for systemic and endocrine illnessNeurologic symptoms and seizure historyMedication list, adherence, and side effectsSubstance, supplement, and interaction reviewRed-flag signs needing urgent evaluationLesson 2Functional assessment: work, social, thinking skills, daily activities, and job performance questionsThis lesson teaches checking daily functioning at work, school, home, and socially. It includes basic activities, complex tasks, thinking ability, missing work, low productivity, and linking problems to diagnosis and care plans.
Evaluating work and school performanceAssessing social and family role functioningActivities of daily living and self-careInstrumental tasks and independent livingSubjective versus observed impairmentLesson 3Bipolar spectrum screening: past high-energy/low-energy episodes, length, effects, and tools (MDQ)This lesson trains you to spot bipolar conditions. It reviews past high and low mood episodes, their length, impact, mixed signs, MDQ tool use, and avoiding common mistakes in diagnosis.
Eliciting past hypomanic and manic episodesAssessing duration, severity, and impairmentIdentifying mixed and rapid cycling featuresUsing and interpreting the MDQ in practiceDistinguishing bipolar from unipolar depressionLesson 4Sleep, eating, weight, and energy checks with body clock and sleep type questionsThis lesson covers detailed checks on sleep, eating, weight, and energy. It stresses body clock rhythms, sleep types, shift work, sleep habits, and linking patterns to mood, worry, and health issues for better treatment.
Sleep onset, maintenance, and early awakeningNightmares, parasomnias, and sleep qualityAppetite, weight change, and eating patternsDaytime fatigue, anergia, and overactivityChronotype, shift work, and social jetlagLesson 5Psychotic symptoms and spotting differences: hearing/seeing things, false beliefs, thinking issues checksThis lesson builds skills to detect psychotic signs. It covers hearing/seeing things, false beliefs, thinking disorders, low motivation, awareness, using gentle questions and family info to separate from mood or cultural factors.
Probing hallucinations across sensory modalitiesExploring delusional themes and convictionAssessing thought form and disorganizationIdentifying negative and cognitive symptomsDifferentiating psychosis from culture or traumaLesson 6Substance use history: standard questions (CAGE, AUDIT-C), timeline review, patterns and family checksThis lesson structures gathering substance history, including alcohol, drugs, and prescribed meds. It teaches CAGE and AUDIT-C, timeline review, spotting patterns, withdrawal dangers, and family verification for accuracy.
Opening nonjudgmental substance questionsUsing CAGE and AUDIT-C effectivelyTimeline follow-back for quantity and frequencyIdentifying withdrawal and overdose risksCollateral and records for substance historyLesson 7Core mood check questions and standard scales (PHQ-9, HAM-D) with results guideThis lesson focuses on key mood questions and trusted scales. You'll use PHQ-9 and HAM-D, explore mood, joy loss, guilt, body symptoms, and read scores in context for diagnosis and treatment tracking.
Open-ended mood and anhedonia questionsExploring guilt, hopelessness, and worthlessnessAdministering and scoring the PHQ-9Using the HAM-D in clinical settingsTracking treatment response over timeLesson 8Checking worry, panic attacks, and restlessness: focused questions and tools (GAD-7, PHQ-A items)This lesson details questions for worry, panic, and restlessness. Practise GAD-7 and PHQ-A, separate worry from panic, check daily impact, and use scores for clinical choices.
Openers for anxiety and worry narrativesCharacterizing panic attacks and triggersScreening with GAD-7: items and scoringUsing PHQ-A anxiety items in adolescentsAssessing agitation, restlessness, and distressLesson 9Risk checks: suicide thoughts, plans, access, actions, protections, and safety plansThis lesson guides structured checks for suicide and harm risks. Covers thoughts, plans, access, past tries, protections, stresses, and joint safety plans with key documentation.
Eliciting suicidal thoughts and communicationAssessing intent, plan, means, and accessReviewing past attempts and self-harm historyIdentifying risk and protective factorsDeveloping and documenting safety plansLesson 10Gathering extra info: when to contact family, clinic doctors, bosses, and requesting records properlyThis lesson explains when and how to get extra info from family, clinic doctors, bosses. Stresses permission, privacy rules, key questions, record requests, and using info in case summaries.
Indications for seeking collateral inputObtaining consent and explaining purposeFocused questions for family and caregiversRequesting and reviewing medical recordsReconciling conflicting collateral reports
