Advanced Medical Science
International Mental Health
The objectives of this unit are to provide an opportunity for students to learn methods in mental health systems research (which are transferable to health systems research generally) and to make a contribution to research that will assist in developing mental health systems that are effective and equitable. The focus of the Centre for International Mental Health is on contributing to mental health system development in low-income and post-conflict societies. This is through education (for example the Master of International Mental Health) and through building capacity for mental health systems research. The vehicle for this capacity building exercise is the International Mental Health Leadership Program, which is run jointly with the Department of Social Medicine, Harvard medical School. There are now 45 former Fellows of the program working throughout Asia who can supervise the local field work of AMS students. Students would have the opportunity, through supervised research, to contribute to exciting, pathbreaking health development work in places where this work is desperately needed.
Mental Health of Immigrants and Refugees
This course introduces the student to issues relevant to mental health of immigrants and refugees, and the relationships between mental health and culture, language and the migration process. It explores theoretical and practical problems of study design and data-gathering across different language and cultural groups and provides training in qualititative or quantitative research methodologies (depending on the research project selected) appropriate for dealing appropriately with these research problems.