Course Outline

MHN713 Traumatic Stress across the Lifespan

Course Coordinator:Bonnie Quigley (bonnie.quigley@usc.edu.au) School:School of Health - Psychology

2027Trimester 1

Online

Online You can do this course without coming onto campus, unless your program has specified a mandatory onsite requirement.

Please go to unisc.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

Traumatic stress can impact people across the lifespan, and early exposure to adverse events is particularly impactful with potential lifelong effects. In this course you will investigate the ways traumatic experiences alter neurobiology and how these changes manifest throughout a person's life, including potential inter-generational impacts. You will discover the unique role that phenomena such as natural disasters have on the way traumatic stress affects populations, as well as how other factors, including specific occupations, intersect with neurobiology and genetics. 

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 12 times

Course Topics

  • Stress, trauma, the role of the brain and neuroscientific advances
  • Traumatic stress at different lifespan cohorts
  • Importance of trauma-informed care
  • Traumatic stress in priority population
  • Relationship between natural disasters and traumatic stress

Mature Content

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 Explain neurobiological evidence underpinning the development and treatment of trauma-related mental health disorders. Knowledgeable
2 Apply a trauma-informed care lens to evaluations of stress-related disorders and conditions across the lifespan. Ethical
3 Advocate interdisciplinary and novel advances in traumatic stress approaches across the lifespan. Empowered
4 Critically synthesise neuroscientific evidence and its role in new approaches to traumatic stress across the lifespan. Engaged
5 Appraise a current framework for trauma-informed care to identify impacts and viable solutions. Empowered
Sustainability-focussed

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

Must be enrolled in program AR503, AR602 or AR706

Co-requisites

MHN701 and MHN712

Anti-requisites

Not applicable

Specific assumed prior knowledge and skills (where applicable)

Not applicable

Microcredential Information

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 opportunities to gain early formative feedback relevant to your first assessment task, by completing the interactive self-check questions and activities incorporated into your 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 Oral and Written Piece Individual 60%
Maximum 2000 words AND 5 min video summary
Refer to Format Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check
All 2 Written Piece Individual 40%
2000-2500 words
Exam Period Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check
All - Assessment Task 1:Case analyses
Goal:
The goal is to apply a trauma-informed lens to a series of case examples and discuss implications in relation to your profession.
Product: Oral and Written Piece
Authorship Statement:
Format:
Submit Week 4 and 7. You will be provided with a series of case examples/scenarios of traumatic stress at various stages across the lifespan. You will analysis each of these, using a trauma-informed lens, and respond to the case example question, including reference to the underlying neurobiological evidence. You will then record a video summary, detailing how a trauma-informed lens is applicable to your profession. You will be able to submit your case example in Week 4 for initial feedback (both generic class feedback and brief individual feedback will be provided), with the remaining examples and video due in Week 7.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1
Explanation of neurobiological evidence underpinning the development and treatment of trauma-related mental health disorders.
1
2
Application of a trauma-informed care lens to evaluations of stress-related disorders and conditions across the lifespan.
2
3
Application of a trauma-informed care lens to current or chosen profession identifying relevant implications.
2
Generic Skills:
Communication, Problem solving
All - Assessment Task 2:Framework analysis
Goal:
The goal is to appraise a current trauma-informed framework that is utilised in a priority population, critiquing the framework in context of the neuroscientific evidence and the implications for interdisciplinary treatment of traumatic stress in this population.
Product: Written Piece
Authorship Statement:
Format:
You will choose a trauma-informed framework (choice from list or choose own) and appraise this in relation to its use for traumatic stress in one of the priority populations in the course. Your appraisal will synthesise neuroscientific evidence that either supports or does not support the framework, and how based on the evidence, an interdisciplinary approach to the disorder is advocated. Your appraisal will build on the feedback you received from your case analyses.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1
Application of a trauma-informed care lens to evaluations of stress-related disorders and conditions.
2
2
Advocacy of an interdisciplinary approach to traumatic stress in identified population.
3
3
Critical synthesis of neuroscientific evidence and its role in new approaches to traumatic stress.
4
4
Appraisal of a current framework for trauma-informed care to identify impacts and viable solutions.
5
Generic Skills:
Communication, Problem solving

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:
(a) The final mark is in the percentage range 47% to 49.4%; and
(b) The course is graded using the Standard Grading scale

Assessment: Submission penalties

Late submissions may be penalised up to and including the following maximum percentage of the assessment task’s identified value, with weekdays and weekends included in the calculation of days late:
(a) One day: deduct 5%;
(b) Two days: deduct 10%;
(c) Three days: deduct 20%;
(d) Four days: deduct 40%;
(e) Five days: deduct 60%;
(f) Six days: deduct 80%;
(g) Seven days: A result of zero is awarded for the assessment task.

The following penalties will apply for a late submission for an online examination:
Less than 15 minutes: No penalty
From 15 minutes to 30 minutes: 20% penalty
More than 30 minutes: 100% penalty

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

For course-specific questions, contact your teaching staff or Course Coordinator.  

For other enquiries or to access support, please contact Student Central: