Module Specification
An online version of this specification is available to prospective students at
http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/study/currentstudents/studentinformation/msc_module_handbook/section3_moduledesc
ript/index.html
GENERAL INFORMATION
Module name
Fundamentals in Global Mental Health
Module code
2341
Module Organisers
Alex Cohen and Lucy Lee
Contact email
alex.cohen@lshtm.ac.uk or lucy.lee@lshtm.ac.uk
Home Faculty
Epidemiology & Population Health
Level
This module is at Level 7 (postgraduate Masters ‘M’ level) of the QAA
Framework for Higher Education Qualifications in England, Wales & Northern
Ireland (FHEQ)
Credit
This module is weighted as equivalent to 15 credits, within the larger 60-credit
Term 1 super-module for each MSc course. Credits are not awarded for this
module individually, but only for successful completion of the Term 1 supermodule.
Accreditation
Not currently accredited by any other body
Keywords
Global mental health
AIMS, OBJECTIVES AND AUDIENCE
Overall aim
To introduce students to Global Mental Health and to provide a critical
understanding of the field and its key issues.
Intended learning
outcomes
By the end of the module students should be able to:
 Analyse the global burden of disease study and its findings about the
burden of mental disorders;
 Critically evaluate the Grand Challenges in Global Mental Health;
 Critically evaluate the cultural critique of Global Mental Health;
 Assess the social determinants of risk for mental disorders;
 Interpret the evidence about the stigma associated with mental
disorders.
Target audience
This module is intended for students who wish to develop an understanding of
the field of Global Mental Health. It is a core requirement for those commencing
the MSc in Global Mental Health, and may also be taken by students on other
LSHTM MScs or as a standalone Continuing Professional Development short
course. Students may or may not have had prior academic or professional
exposure to the field.
1
CONTENT
Session content
The module is expected to include sessions addressing the following topics
(though please note that these may be subject to change):

History of Global Mental Health

Evidence base for Global Mental Health

Culture and mental health

Critiques of Global Mental Health

Grand Challenges in Global Mental Health

Mental health policy

Mental health prevention and promotion

Social determinants of mental health

Stigma, discrimination and human rights

Suicide

Conflict, migration and mental health

Women’s mental health

Child and adolescent mental health

INTREPID: researching psychosis in diverse settings
TEACHING, LEARNING AND ASSESSMENT
Study resources
provided or required
All students will receive a module reader.
Teaching and learning
methods
Sessions will consist of a mix of lectures, seminars, films and working in small
groups.
Assessment details
Formal assessment of students enrolled for an LSHTM MSc will be via unseen
written exam, taken in the summer term.
All students will be required to purchase the textbook ‘Global Mental Health:
Principles and Practice’ (Oxford University Press 2013). This will be available at
a 50% reduction to students taking this module.
Students will also be required to submit a written assignment (word count to
be decided); however this will not count towards the final grade.
Students who are not registered for an LSHTM MSc but who wish to gain
credits for the module will be required to submit a 2,000 word essay that will
address 1 or 2 topics covered in the module.
Students who are required to re-sit, or are granted a deferral or new attempt,
should do so via the following year’s formal exam (if registered for an MSc) or
via a new essay title in mid/late September for other students.
2
Assessment dates
Assessment of students enrolled for an LSHTM MSc will take place in June
2016.
Students who are not registered for an LSHTM MSc but who wish to gain
credits for the module must submit their essays by the end of term 1.
Students who are required to re-sit, or are granted a deferral or new attempt,
should do so via the following year’s formal exam (if registered for an MSc) or
in mid/late September for other students.
Language of study and
assessment
English (please see ‘English language requirements’ below regarding the
standard required for entry).
TIMING AND MODE OF STUDY
Duration
The module runs for 10 weeks at two half days per week; this module runs
between 9.30 and 12.30 on Tuesdays and 2.00 and 4.30 on Fridays.
Dates
For 2015-16, the module will start on 6 October 2015 and finish on 18
December 2015
Timetable slot
The module runs in LSHTM Term 1
Mode of Study
The module is taught face-to-face in London. Both full-time and part-time
students follow the same schedule.
Learning time
The notional learning time for the module totals 150 hours, consisting of:

Contact time ≈ 55 hours

Directed self-study ≈ 30 hours

Self-directed learning ≈ 30 hours

Assessment, review and revision ≈ 35 hours
APPLICATION, ADMISSION AND FEES
Pre-requisites
None
English language
requirements
A strong command of the English language is necessary to benefit from
studying the module. Applicants whose first language is not English or whose
prior university studies have not been conducted wholly in English must fulfil
LSHTM’s English language requirements, with an acceptable score in an
approved test taken in the two years prior to entry. Applicants may be asked to
take a test even if the standard conditions have been met.
Student numbers
Student numbers are typically 20-25 per year; numbers may be capped due to
limitations in facilities or staffing.
Student selection
Preference will be given to LSHTM MSc students, particularly those registered
for the MSc in Global Mental Health. Other applicants meeting the entry criteria
will usually be offered a place in the order applications are received, until any
cap on numbers is reached. Applicants may be placed on a waiting list and
given priority the next time the module is run.
Full Registration (full participation) by LSHTM research degree students is
required for this module.
3
Fees
For registered LSHTM MSc students, fees for the module are included within
MSc fees (given on individual course prospectus pages).
If registering specifically for this module, as a stand-alone short course,
individual module fees will apply.
Tuition fees must be paid in full before commencing the module, or by any fee
deadline set by the Registry.
Scholarships
Scholarships are not available for individual modules. Some potential sources
of funding are detailed on the LSHTM website.
Admission deadlines
For 2015-16:

For registered LSHTM MSc students, the module choice deadline is the end
of Term 1 Orientation Week, Friday 2 October 2015.

If registering specifically for this module, applications may be made at any
time; but as places are limited, applications are strongly advised to be
submitted by at latest 8 weeks prior to the start of the module. Formal
registration will take place on the morning of the first day of the module.
ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT
This module specification applies for the academic year 2015-2016
Last revised 05 June 2014, by Alex Cohen and Lucy Lee; Minor amendnents Sarah Bathie 10th July 2015
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel St., London WC1E 7HT.
www.lshtm.ac.uk
4