Lesson 1Medical and neurological mimics of psychiatric presentations: thyroid, B12, infection, head injury, and medication-induced symptomsExamines common medical and neurological conditions that resemble psychiatric disorders in Namibian patients, such as thyroid problems, B12 deficiency, infections, head injuries, and drug side effects, highlighting warning signs, screening methods, and teamwork with primary health care.
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 formulationCovers basic principles of psychiatric diagnosis in Namibia, focusing on symptom descriptions, long-term patterns, co-existing conditions, and cultural influences, while teaching structured approaches to differential diagnosis that prioritise 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 featuresExplains how to identify bipolar spectrum disorders in Namibian adults, including mild hypomania, mixed episodes, and unusual depression, stressing changes in sleep, energy, activities, illness patterns, 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 statesLooks at distinguishing primary psychotic conditions from those caused by substances, withdrawal, delirium, or other confusion states in Namibia, using factors like onset, duration, awareness, thinking, and related health findings to direct urgent care 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)Presents important structured tools and scales for clinic assessments in Namibia, like PHQ-9, GAD-7, CAGE, AUDIT, C-SSRS, and YMRS, including how to use them, interpret results, note limitations, and apply them in patient care 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 diagnosesGuides on creating biopsychosocial explanations in Namibian practice that blend contributing, triggering, ongoing, and protective elements, and deciding between main and secondary diagnoses to shape treatment order and joint care arrangements.
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 cognitionDiscusses identifying alcohol, benzodiazepine, and opioid use problems in Namibia, emphasising intoxication, withdrawal, and lasting impacts on mood, worry, thinking, and psychosis, plus how usage habits affect diagnosis and hide main conditions.
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 severityExplains DSM-5 and ICD-11 standards for Major Depressive Disorder relevant to Namibia, covering essential symptoms, length, modifiers, and intensity levels, and comparing with mourning, adjustment issues, bipolar depression, and physical 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 prognosisInvestigates how family background, job pressures, loss of relationships, trauma, poverty, and cultural factors in Namibia influence symptom start, progression, and treatment outcomes, aiding in better diagnosis chances, risk assessments, and future predictions.
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
