Lesson 1Medical and neurological mimics of psychiatric presentations: thyroid, B12, infection, head injury, and medication-induced symptomsThis lesson examines common medical and neurological conditions that resemble psychiatric problems in Zambian patients, such as thyroid issues, B12 deficiency, infections, head injuries, and drug side effects, highlighting warning signs, basic tests, and teamwork with general doctors.
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 formulationThis lesson covers basic rules for diagnosing mental health conditions in Zambia, focusing on symptom descriptions, illness progression, overlapping issues, and cultural influences, while teaching clear methods to prioritise safety, treatable problems, and areas of uncertainty.
Phenomenological description of symptoms and signsLongitudinal course and life-stage considerationsComorbidity and overlapping symptom clustersCultural formulation and explanatory modelsPrioritising safety and treatable conditions firstCommunicating diagnostic uncertainty to patientsLesson 3Bipolar spectrum and bipolar depression: signs suggesting hypomania/mania, sleep and activity changes, and differential featuresThis lesson explains how to spot bipolar conditions in Zambian adults, including mild high moods, mixed states, and unusual depression, stressing changes in sleep, energy, activities, patterns over time, and differences from single-episode depression or 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 statesThis lesson helps distinguish true psychotic illnesses from those caused by drugs, withdrawal, confusion, or other sudden states in Zambia, using timing, symptoms, awareness, thinking, and medical checks 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)This lesson introduces important tools and scales for clinic assessments in Zambia, like PHQ-9 for depression, GAD-7 for anxiety, CAGE/AUDIT for alcohol, C-SSRS for suicide, and YMRS for mania, with tips on use, reading results, limits, and fitting into 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 diagnosesThis lesson teaches building full explanations of mental health causes in Zambian contexts, mixing biological, psychological, and social elements like triggers and supports, and deciding main versus added diagnoses to plan treatments and teamwork.
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 cognitionThis lesson focuses on spotting alcohol, benzodiazepine, and opioid problems in Zambia, covering intoxication, withdrawal, and long-term impacts on mood, worry, thinking, and psychosis, and how use patterns hide true 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 severityThis lesson explains DSM-5 and ICD-11 rules for major depression in Zambian practice, including key symptoms, length, types, and levels, plus differences from grief, adjustment issues, bipolar, and body 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 prognosisThis lesson looks at how family background, job stress, loss of loved ones, trauma, poverty, and Zambian culture affect symptom start, path, and treatment success, aiding better diagnosis, risk checks, and future outlooks.
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
