Lesson 1Medical and neurological mimics of psychiatric presentations: thyroid, B12, infection, head injury, and medication-induced symptomsExamines frequent medical and neurological issues that resemble psychiatric disorders, such as thyroid problems, B12 shortage, infections, head injuries, and drug side effects, highlighting warning signs, basic tests, and teamwork with general practitioners.
Endocrine causes: thyroid, adrenal, and metabolic issuesNutritional and blood-related factors, including B12Infections, swelling, and body-wide illness impactsHead injury, fits, and brain degeneration diseasesDrug- and substance-caused psychiatric symptomsReasons for blood tests, scans, and expert referralsLesson 2Principles of psychiatric diagnosis and differential formulationCovers basic rules of psychiatric diagnosis, stressing symptom descriptions, long-term patterns, overlapping conditions, and cultural influences, while teaching organised differential approaches that focus on safety, treatability, and areas of doubt.
Describing symptoms and signs based on experienceLong-term patterns and life-stage factorsOverlapping conditions and shared symptom groupsCultural explanations and modelsPutting safety and treatable issues firstSharing diagnostic doubts with patientsLesson 3Bipolar spectrum and bipolar depression: signs suggesting hypomania/mania, sleep and activity changes, and differential featuresExplains identifying bipolar spectrum disorders, including mild hypomania, mixed episodes, and unusual depression, focusing on sleep, energy, and activity shifts, illness patterns, and differences from single-episode depression and personality issues.
Signs of hypomania and full maniaSleep, body clock, and activity shiftsIllness patterns: episodes, mood swings, and seasonsSeparating bipolar from single-episode depressionMixed signs and quick-cycling casesTools and extra info for spotting bipolar traitsLesson 4Primary psychotic disorders vs substance/withdrawal-induced psychosis and acute confusional statesLooks at distinguishing main psychotic disorders from drug-caused psychosis, confusion states, and other sudden muddled thinking, using start time, duration, awareness, thinking skills, and related health findings to direct quick care choices.
Main signs of schizophrenia group disordersTiming between drug use and psychosis onsetSpotting confusion and changing awarenessThinking tests and focus in sudden muddleHealth checks for first-time psychosisRisk checks and urgent hospital needsLesson 5Structured diagnostic tools and rating scales useful in outpatient assessment (PHQ-9, GAD-7, CAGE/AUDIT, C-SSRS, YMRS)Presents main formal tools and scales for clinic assessments, like PHQ-9, GAD-7, CAGE, AUDIT, C-SSRS, and YMRS, with tips on using them, understanding results, limits, and fitting into patient care decisions.
Picking right screening and scale toolsUsing PHQ-9 and GAD-7 in regular checksCAGE and AUDIT for spotting alcohol issuesC-SSRS for suicide risk checks and trackingYMRS and other mania scalesRecording and following scores over timeLesson 6Formulating multi-factorial etiologies: biopsychosocial integration and weighing primary versus secondary diagnosesShows how to build biopsychosocial explanations that blend risk factors, triggers, ongoing issues, and strengths, and how to balance main versus added diagnoses to direct treatment order and team care plans.
Risk, trigger, ongoing, strength modelBody factors: genes, brain function, health issuesMind factors: traits, coping, past hurts, viewsSocial factors: ties, job, culture, supportBalancing main versus added diagnosesConnecting explanation to treatment and outlookLesson 7Substance use disorders and pattern recognition: alcohol, benzodiazepines, and opioids effects on mood and cognitionDeals with spotting alcohol, benzodiazepine, and opioid use problems, stressing intoxication, withdrawal, and lasting effects on mood, worry, thinking, and psychosis, and how use habits cloud diagnosis and hide main issues.
Checks for alcohol, benzo, and opioid useIntoxication signs and sudden behaviour shiftsWithdrawal states and bounce-back worry or restlessnessSubstance-caused mood and thinking signsSeparating main from substance-caused disordersChecking seriousness, tolerance, and daily impactLesson 8Diagnostic criteria for Major Depressive Disorder (DSM-5 / ICD-11): core symptoms, specifiers, duration, and severityExplains DSM-5 and ICD-11 rules for Major Depressive Disorder, covering needed signs, length, types, and seriousness levels, and compares with loss, adjustment issues, bipolar depression, and health causes.
Main mood, thinking, and body signsLength, daily impact, and exclusion rulesTypes: deep, unusual, psychotic, worriedSeriousness check: mild, medium, severeSeparating MDD from loss and adjustment issuesSeparating MDD from bipolar and health causesLesson 9How family history, occupational stressors, relationship loss, and social determinants modify diagnostic probability and prognosisInvestigates how family risks, job stress, loss of ties, past hurts, poverty, and cultural setting affect symptom start, path, and treatment reply, aiding clinicians to sharpen diagnosis chances, risk guesses, and long-term outlooks.
Gathering full family mental and substance historyChecking job stress, exhaustion, and work uncertaintyEffects of loss, split, and bond breaksSocial factors: home, money, bias, movingCultural and faith factors in sign showingBlending context risks into outlook and plans
