Training

Mental health epidemiology (Month 8):

The main topics covered will be i) basic epidemiological notions; ii) the special issues of mental health epidemiology, including cultural variation; iii) applications of epidemiological tools and analytic techniques to existing national mental health data sets; iv) the theory and potential applications in mental health of horizontal epidemiology; and v) programmes of mental health promotion and mental ill-health prevention based on specific examples.

Human rights and ethics in mental health (Month 12):

The following topics will be covered: i) basic introduction to national and international human rights law; ii) European national instruments on mental health human rights; iii) the impact of the CRPD on mental health epidemiology and social response; iv) introduction to ethical analysis as it applies to mental health in a social context, and the ethics of public health and epidemiology; v) the ethical values of autonomy and dignity as they concern the social treatment of people with mental health problems; and vi) the range and content of ethical issues associated with mental health research.

Research management, entrepreneurial skills and commercial exploitation and dissemination (Month 15)

Summer school on transferable skills (Month 18):

Five streams of transferable skills will be taught in: 1) applied statistics, 2) systematic literature reviews, 3) workplace and mental health issues, 4) communication skills, and 5) writing skills.

MH epidemiology across the life span:

This training area includes: 1) History and methodologies of mental health epidemiology. 2) Existing European epidemiological data sources on mental health. 3) Development, in light of basic epidemiological principles and the existing literature, of the theory of horizontal epidemiology. 4) The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health and its role in horizontal epidemiology. 5) Current work on mental health information systems. 6) Methodological strategies to assess mental health. 7) Principles of mental health economics and prospective payment systems. 8) Mental health epidemiology in specific age groups and socio-cultural settings. 9) Measuring impact of mental disease on individuals and society. 10) Theory of burden of disease and methodology considerations for mental health. 11) Comorbidities and mental disorders, the effect on impact and burden. 12) Designing mental health interventions from the perspective of horizontal epidemiology. 13) Horizontal epidemiology applications in health systems and mental health policy development.

Human rights and combating stigma and social exclusion:

This training area includes: 1) History of ethical understanding of personal autonomy and dignity and the roles of these concepts in modern society. 2) History and analysis of European national and international human rights law and policy in mental health. 3) Model mental health legislation, in light of human rights principles. 4) Indicators and monitoring mechanisms for mental health practice, both clinical and public health. 5) Comparative legal techniques for analysing impact of national legislation and international treaties on mental health policies and practices. 6) Socio-demographic profiles of stigmatization and discrimination against persons with mental disorders. 7) Analysis of profiles of psychosocial difficulties associated with mental health discrimination. 8) EU anti-discrimination policies and mental health.

Depression and deliberate self-harm:

This training area includes: 1) Review of the literature on self-harming behavior, including definition, European prevalence, incidence and social impact. 2) European suicide trends, demographic profiles and cultural variation. 3) Risk factors for self-harm and suicide. 4) Review of suicide and self-harming behavior prevention programmes and assessment of effectiveness. 5) Systematic review of literature on linkages and associations between depression and self-harming behaviour, in particular suicide. 6) Basic information about depression – definition, diagnosis, epidemiology, treatment and burden in the European context. 7) Depression in children: current knowledge and challenges. 8) The primary care setting and prospects for early detection of depression and prevention of self-harming behaviors.

Mental health and well-being at the workplace:

This training area includes: 1) Basic concepts in workplace-related mental health. 2) Workplace-related mental health epidemiology. 3) History and review of private and public sector responses to employee stress and other workplace related risk factors of presenteeism and absenteeism. 4) European and international best practices in private and public sectors responses to workplace mental health. 5) Designing and evaluating mental health interventions at the workplace. 6) Cross-cultural adaptation of promotion and prevention programmes in the workplace. 7) Economic evaluation of workplace mental health programmes. 8) Occupational risk factors that contribute to the creation of workplace psychosocial strain. 9) Transitions from educational to employment settings for persons with mental disorders.