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Course Outline

MHN707 Stress-related Disorders

Course Coordinator:Christina Driver (cdriver@usc.edu.au) School:School of Health - Psychology

2024Semester 1

Online

 Online You can do this course without coming onto campus.

Please go to usc.edu.au for up to date information on the
teaching sessions and campuses where this course is usually offered.

What is this course about?

Description

Stress promotes vulnerability to, or exacerbates symptoms of, most mental illnesses. Stress-related disorders result from an atypical response to anxiety due to physical, mental or emotional stress. Post-traumatic stress disorder can develop if feelings of fear, anger and depressed mood persist after exposure to a traumatic event. You will explore how atypical responses to trauma lead to disorders and how brain changes manifest into debilitating symptoms. For most, current treatments are not effective, so you’ll also explore emerging evidence behind novel therapies.

How will this course be delivered?

Activity Hours Beginning Week Frequency
Online
Online – The online activities will include a variety of asynchronous, interactive learning materials, and options for lecturer and peer to peer collaborations, and lecturer and peer zoom drop-ins. 3hrs Week 1 13 times

Course Topics

  • Stress: From a normal physiological response to chronic problems (Adult themes)
  • The neurobiology of stress-related disorders (Adult themes)
  • Stress-related disorders and existing treatments with a focus on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Adult themes)
  • The importance of preclinical and translational research with respect to stress-related disorders (Adult themes)
  • The role of communities and those with lived experience (Adult themes)
  • Novel treatments for stress-related disorders with a focus on PTSD (Adult themes)

What level is this course?

700 Level (Specialised)

Demonstrating a specialised body of knowledge and set of skills for professional practice or further learning. Advanced application of knowledge and skills in unfamiliar contexts.

What is the unit value of this course?

12 units

How does this course contribute to my learning?

Course Learning Outcomes On successful completion of this course, you should be able to... Graduate Qualities Completing these tasks successfully will contribute to you becoming...
1 Build an advanced understanding of neurological evidence associated with the development and treatment of stress-related mental health disorders. Knowledgeable
2 Assess and articulate, from an ethical perspective, the complexities of addressing stress-related disorders in the community and its impacts. Ethical
3 Appraise traditional approaches in addressing stress-related disorders and review current evidence of novel therapies utilised in treatment or community care. Sustainability-focussed
4 Evaluate current and novel approaches to treating a stress-related disorder to develop research questions and future directions based on neuroscientific evidence. Engaged

Am I eligible to enrol in this course?

Refer to the UniSC Glossary of terms for definitions of “pre-requisites, co-requisites and anti-requisites”.

Pre-requisites

Enrolled in Program AR602 or AR706

Co-requisites

Not applicable

Anti-requisites

Not applicable

Specific assumed prior knowledge and skills (where applicable)

Not applicable

How am I going to be assessed?

Grading Scale

Standard Grading (GRD)

High Distinction (HD), Distinction (DN), Credit (CR), Pass (PS), Fail (FL).

Details of early feedback on progress

You will be provided with multiple opportunities to gain early formative feedback relevant to your first assessment task, by completing the interactive self-check questions incorporated into your weekly online modules and learning materials.

Assessment tasks

Delivery mode Task No. Assessment Product Individual or Group Weighting % What is the duration / length? When should I submit? Where should I submit it?
All 1 Examination - not Centrally Scheduled Individual 20% 
1 hour
 Week 4 Online Submission
All 2 Written Piece Individual 30% 
1500 words (across multiple posts).
 Refer to Format Online Discussion Board
All 3 Written Piece Individual 50% 
3500 words
 Exam Period Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check
All - Assessment Task 1:Online open book exam
Goal: 
The goal is to demonstrate your understanding of neurological evidence associated with the development and treatment of stress-related mental health disorders.
Product: Examination - not Centrally Scheduled
Format: 
You will respond online to a series of questions which will cover the learning materials from the first block of this course. This online exam will consist of 40 questions ranging from multiple choice, fill in the blank, true or false and short answer questions (practice questions will be provided).
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1 
Demonstration of building an advanced understanding of neurological evidence associated with the development of stress related disorders
 1
2 
Assessment of the complexities of addressing stress-related disorders.
 2
3 
Articulation of the complexities of addressing stress-related disorders.
 2
All - Assessment Task 2:Discussion forum posting
Goal: 
The goal is to assess and articulate the complexities of ethical considerations in research, and in the treatment of stress related disorders in the community.
Product: Written Piece
Format: 
Submit: Weeks 9, 10, 11. You will articulate your assessments of ethical considerations by responding to a series of set discussion board questions, based on content from Block 2, to be submitted in Week 9. You will then respond to your peers’ responses, to propose an alternate view, highlighting the complexities of the issue, which you will submit in Week 10. Finally, you will respond to a further set question submitted in Week 11, where your response will acknowledge the opposing view and then provide a detailed defence for your chosen perspective utilising current evidence.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1 
Assessment of the complexities of addressing a stress-related disorder in the community from an ethical perspective.
 2
2 
Assessment of the impacts of addressing a stress-related disorder in the community from an ethical perspective.
 2
3 
Articulation of ethical perspective by incorporating both own viewpoint and acknowledgement of views held by others.
 2
All - Assessment Task 3:Position paper
Goal: 
The goal is to critically appraise the recent evidence base regarding current and novel approaches for treating a stress-related disorder.
Product: Written Piece
Format: 
You will critically appraise recent literature to prepare a Position paper, following the relevant article guidelines and targeted at the journal’s audience. Your position paper will focus on a novel approach to treating a stress-related disorder, and based on current evidence, will then draw conclusions to pose future research directions and potential research questions.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1 
Appraisal of traditional approaches in addressing stress-related disorders.
 3
2 
Review of current evidence of novel therapies utilised in treatment or community care of stress-related disorders.
 3
3 
Evaluation of current and novel approaches to treating stress-related disorders.
 4
4 
Development of research questions to address a novel approaches to treating stress-related disorders.
 4
5 
Development of future directions to address novel approaches to treating stress-related disorders.
 4

Directed study hours

A 12-unit course will have total of 150 learning hours which will include directed study hours (including online if required), self-directed learning and completion of assessable tasks. Student workload is calculated at 12.5 learning hours per one unit.

What resources do I need to undertake this course?

Please note: Course information, including specific information of recommended readings, learning activities, resources, weekly readings, etc. are available on the course Canvas site– Please log in as soon as possible.

Prescribed text(s) or course reader

There are no required/recommended resources for this course.

Specific requirements

All work submitted for assessment is to be word processed and submitted electronically. It is expected that

students will have ready access to a computer with common productivity software and reliable Internet access. Students will be able to participate in video conferencing, and therefore it is recommended to have computer capabilities to join these sessions (e.g. webcam, microphone).

How are risks managed in this course?

Health and safety risks for this course have been assessed as low. It is your responsibility to review course material, search online, discuss with lecturers and peers and understand the health and safety risks associated with your specific course of study and to familiarise yourself with the University’s general health and safety principles by reviewing the online induction training for students, and following the instructions of the University staff.

What administrative information is relevant to this course?

Assessment: Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is the ethical standard of university participation.  It ensures that students graduate as a result of proving they are competent in their discipline.  This is integral in maintaining the value of academic qualifications. Each industry has expectations and standards of the skills and knowledge within that discipline and these are reflected in assessment.

Academic integrity means that you do not engage in any activity that is considered to be academic fraud; including plagiarism, collusion or outsourcing any part of any assessment item to any other person.  You are expected to be honest and ethical by completing all work yourself and indicating in your work which ideas and information were developed by you and which were taken from others. You cannot provide your assessment work to others. You are also expected to provide evidence of wide and critical reading, usually by using appropriate academic references.

In order to minimise incidents of academic fraud, this course may require that some of its assessment tasks, when submitted to Canvas, are electronically checked through Turnitin.  This software allows for text comparisons to be made between your submitted assessment item and all other work to which Turnitin has access.

Assessment: Additional Requirements

Eligibility for Supplementary Assessment

Your eligibility for supplementary assessment in a course is dependent of the following conditions applying:

The final mark is in the percentage range 47% to 49.4%
The course is graded using the Standard Grading scale
You have not failed an assessment task in the course due to academic misconduct
If Limited graded course

Assessment: Submission penalties

Late submission of assessment tasks will be penalised at the following maximum rate:

5% (of the assessment task’s identified value) per day for the first two days from the date identified as the due date for the assessment task
10% (of the assessment task’s identified value) for the third day
20% (of the assessment task’s identified value) for the fourth day and subsequent days up to and including seven days from the date identified as the due date for the assessment task
A result of zero is awarded for an assessment task submitted seven days from the date identified as the due date for the assessment task.
Weekdays and weekends are included in the calculation of days late.

To request an extension, you must contact your Course Coordinator and supply the required documentation to negotiate an outcome.

SafeUniSC

UniSC is committed to a culture of respect and providing a safe and supportive environment for all members of our community. For immediate assistance on campus contact SafeUniSC by phone: 07 5430 1168 or using the SafeZone app. For general enquires contact the SafeUniSC team by phone 07 5456 3864 or email safe@usc.edu.au.

The SafeUniSC Specialist Service is a Student Wellbeing service that provides free and confidential support to students who may have experienced or observed behaviour that could cause fear, offence or trauma. To contact the service call 07 5430 1226 or email studentwellbeing@usc.edu.au.

Study help

For help with course-specific advice, for example what information to include in your assessment, you should first contact your tutor, then your course coordinator, if needed.

If you require additional assistance, the Learning Advisers are trained professionals who are ready to help you develop a wide range of academic skills. Visit the Learning Advisers web page for more information, or contact Student Central for further assistance: +61 7 5430 2890 or studentcentral@usc.edu.au.

Wellbeing Services

Student Wellbeing provide free and confidential counselling on a wide range of personal, academic, social and psychological matters, to foster positive mental health and wellbeing for your academic success.

To book a confidential appointment go to Student Hub, email studentwellbeing@usc.edu.au or call 07 5430 1226.

AccessAbility Services

Ability Advisers ensure equal access to all aspects of university life. If your studies are affected by a disability, learning disorder mental health issue, injury or illness, or you are a primary carer for someone with a disability or who is considered frail and aged, AccessAbility Services can provide access to appropriate reasonable adjustments and practical advice about the support and facilities available to you throughout the University.

To book a confidential appointment go to Student Hub, email AccessAbility@usc.edu.au or call 07 5430 2890.

Links to relevant University policy and procedures

For more information on Academic Learning & Teaching categories including:

  • Assessment: Courses and Coursework Programs
  • Review of Assessment and Final Grades
  • Supplementary Assessment
  • Central Examinations
  • Deferred Examinations
  • Student Conduct
  • Students with a Disability

For more information, visit https://www.usc.edu.au/explore/policies-and-procedures#academic-learning-and-teaching

Student Charter

UniSC is committed to excellence in teaching, research and engagement in an environment that is inclusive, inspiring, safe and respectful. The Student Charter sets out what students can expect from the University, and what in turn is expected of students, to achieve these outcomes.

General Enquiries

  • In person:
    • UniSC Sunshine Coast - Student Central, Ground Floor, Building C, 90 Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs
    • UniSC Moreton Bay - Service Centre, Ground Floor, Foundation Building, Gympie Road, Petrie
    • UniSC SouthBank - Student Central, Building A4 (SW1), 52 Merivale Street, South Brisbane
    • UniSC Gympie - Student Central, 71 Cartwright Road, Gympie
    • UniSC Fraser Coast - Student Central, Student Central, Building A, 161 Old Maryborough Rd, Hervey Bay
    • UniSC Caboolture - Student Central, Level 1 Building J, Cnr Manley and Tallon Street, Caboolture
  • Tel:+61 7 5430 2890
  • Email:studentcentral@usc.edu.au
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